Craniometric Analysis of European Rabbit (Oryctolagus Cuniculus) Breeds to Trace out Intraspecific and Inter Gender Morphometric Variations

The family Liproidae expresses the significant variation of morphometric features at species level. In already available literature on the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) the idea is proposed that there can be variation in the morphometric character of different breeds of Oryctolagus cuniculus but there are negligible scientific research base evidences for it. So in this study interbreed craniometric comparison of the European rabbit is carried out to trace out their intergender and intraspecific morphometric variations. The study material consists of 32 sexually mature rabbits belong to two breeds of European rabbit that are New Zealand rabbit (eight males and eight females) and American Dutch rabbit (eight males and eight females) collected from different districts of the Punjab, Pakistan. There were 29 different measurements taken from the skull and mandible of both breeds by using digital and manual verniar calipers. The results of this study have revealed that there is significant interbreed variation in the nasal length measurement of the New Zealand and American Dutch rabbit. This significant interbreed difference in nasal length is observed in both female as well as male rabbits (p=0.0059 and 0.0069 respectively). The current study also depicts that inter gender craniometric variations exist in the New Zealand as well as American Dutch rabbit. The standard deviation of the foramen magnum index of the both included breeds is comparatively higher than all the other included morphometric features. This study provides the baseline data on interbreed craniometric variations in the Oryctolagus cuniculus.

PRIMARY IMMUNIZATION OF LYMPH NODE CELLS IN MILLIPORE CHAMBERS BY EXPOSURE TO HOMOGRAFT ANTIGEN

Normal Dutch rabbit lymph node and spleen minces, lymph node cell suspensions, and residues from lymph node cell suspensions were cultured in Millipore chambers with slices of autologous or homologous (New Zealand) ear skin. for varying time intervals. Lymphoid cells exposed to New Zealand ear skin for more than 4 days were found capable of producing typical "transfer reactions" in the specific New Zealand ear skin donor, similar in every way to reactions produced by cells from lymph nodes sensitized in the intact Dutch animal. Heat-killed cells and cells exposed to New Zealand ear skin for less than 4 days (in chambers or in the intact animal) or to Dutch ear skin for any period of time were incapable of eliciting such reactions. It is concluded that normal lymphoid tissues undergo primary sensitization when exposed to homografts in Millipore chambers for suitable periods of time.