Cyclopamine, and its glycoside alkaloid X, along with jervine and veratrosine, induced cyclopian malformations in offspring born to ewes ingesting these compounds on the fourteenth day of gestation. Other steroidal alkaloids with somewhat similar structures and various other steroidal compounds including certain hormones and steroidal sapogenins did not induce the malformation.

No abstract

The developmental anatomy of the sheep in the early prenatal period (14 to 34 days) was studied using embryos of known coital age, and embryos of known size with estimated coital age. Characteristics of the embryos were studied by gross observation under the dissecting microscope, and by means of serial sections. The period of the ovum (from conception to 10 days) and the early embryonic period (from 11 to 14 days) are summarized from the literature.This work provides a detailed, systematic account of embryonic development in the sheep and establishes size-age standards. Anatomical features encountered in the normal development of the sheep embryo are documented day-byday because they are essential for studies of teratogenesis and early prenatal mortality.