BIRTH OF OFFSPRING FOLLOWING ARTIFICIAL-INSEMINATION IN THE COMMON MARMOSET, CALLITHRIX-JACCHUS

The objective of the study was to develop a method for artificial inse mination (AI) in the common marmoset, a New World primate species. For Al to be successful, sperm must be deposited at an appropriate site a nd time in the female reproductive tract, details of which are current ly not available for Callitrichid species. Epididymal sperm were depos ited in the cervix of 18 marmoset monkeys (Callithrix jacchus) around the time of expected ovulation using either 3, 2, or 1 inseminations. Six out of 18 females conceived, resulting in the first reported birth s following AI in this species. These pregnancies show that the presen ce of coagulum in the vagina and the stimulus of the female reproducti ve tract by natural mating are not essential for effective sperm trans port in this species. Although 3 different timing regimes for sperm de position relative to ovulation were employed, no protocol was demonstr ably better than the others in terms of number of conceptions. The pro portions of motile, live, and morphologically normal sperm in the susp ensions used for Al were comparable with published values for ejaculat es from fertile male macaques. These preliminary results indicate that births are possible following Al in marmosets: the technique could be used to aid effective genetic management of the species and possibly to facilitate captive breeding of endangered Callitrichids. (C) 1997 W iley-Liss, Inc.