Could Two Mules with Down's Syndrome Successfully Breed?

[jimmy p]

OK, i probably know the answer to this. Mules have 63 chromosomes, and are sterile. Is this BECAUSE they have 63 chromosomes?? If so, if you had two mules with Down's syndrome (so they have 64 chromosomes) would they be able to successfully breed?

 

[nautica]

Down syndrome is caused by a none disjunction at one gene not the entire chromosome.

Nautica

 

[jimmy p]

I thought it was an entire copy of another chromosome, which is why it was called sticky chromosome syndrome...

 

[iansmith]

Nautica you are wrong, is the non-disjunction of entire chromosome. The other name for down syndrom is trisomie 21.

Anyway Jimmy, a mule with down syndrom would probably still be infertile because the excess chromsome migth not be the one missing. Therefore you get a chromosome in triplicate and one in single.

 

[nautica]

Yes, I just looked it up.

thanks, nautica

 

[jimmy p]

thanx that was the answer i was expecting anyway, just had a suprise, i thought about something (if only briefly)