Open Eyelids at Birth, a New Mutation in the Musk Shrew, Suncus murinus

摘要

The mutation designated "open eyelids at birth" arose spontaneously in the BAN strain of the musk shrew (Suncus murinus). This is the first report on this kind of mutation in the shrew. Mating experiments suggested that the mutant character is controlled by an autosomal recessive gene with about 43/100 penetrance. The symbol oeb(open eyelids at birth) was proposed for the mutant gene. Affected shrews were fully viable and fertile. Phenotypically, the affected shrews were characterized by one or both eyelids open at birth.