The quality and quantity of wool produced by adult sheep is directly related to the development of follicles in the skin during foetal development. Sheep that develop dense populations of follicles not only produce more wool but also produce finer wool. For these reasons many breeding and management programs have tried to maximise the development of follicles in the skin. It has been assumed that all of the follicles that initiate in the skin go on to produce a fibre. New research conducted by Dr Janelle Hocking Edwards, lecturer in animal science at the University of Western Australia, challenges this belief. "While I was in New Zealand conducting research into follicle initiation in NZ Merinos, I first noticed that follicles appeared to regresslate in foetal life. There were a few reports that indicated that some follicles might regress before birth, but the evidence was flimsy. I decided to investigate this phenomenon when I returned to Australia and was appointed as part of the Cooperative Research Centre Education Program team."
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