title: Abnormal morphology of vervet monkey sperm.
abstract: Ejaculates of 14 colony-bred and 14 wild-caught vervet monkeys were examined for morphologically abnormal sperm. Sperm head abnormalities were rare in both groups, occurring at rates of 0.01-0.29%. Tail abnormalities predominated, particularly bent midpieces and coiled and folded tails, which all occurred at rates of 3.79-17.18%. Except for the nipple acrosome, there was no difference in the rate at which sperm abnormalities were found in both groups. Three abnormalities were found only in colony-bred and three only in wild-caught individuals. Some common abnormalities, all affecting the tail, were highly variable in consecutive ejaculates from the same individuals.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Biology Programme: Primate Unit, MRC, Tygerberg, South Africa.
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Seier
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: vd Horst
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Laubscher
mesh_terms: D000177:Acrosome / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D000835:Animals, Wild; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops / Q000002:abnormalities*; D004542:Ejaculation; D008297:Male; D013077:Sperm Head / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013082:Sperm Tail / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000002:abnormalities*