Developmental Genetics

The study of mammalian development has historically relied on morphological observations and the evaluation of developing offspring in utero. This painstaking work has resulted in detailed and meticulous descriptions of the events and structures that arise during this elegantly orchestrated process (Patten, 1948). The developmental genetics of the pig, as with many other mammals, was hindered for a long time owing to the tremendous complexity of development and the lack of appropriate methods. However, recent advances in molecular techniques and gene expression profiling have resulted in the generation of a vast amount of data concerning the genetics of mammalian development. A great deal of this work has been carried out in the mouse, but there are increasing amounts of information on the embryology and genetics of development in economically important agricultural species such as the pig. Drawing on this information, this chapter is intended to provide an overview of the current understanding of mammalian development as it relates to pigs.