Immunological Aspects of Gestation in the Tammar Wallaby, Macropus eugenii

Abstract

Sensitization to male histocompatibility antigens and repeated pregnancy to the same male were found to have little effect on fertility or length of gestation in the tammar wallaby, M. eugenii. In some sensitized females a long interval occurred between removal of pouch young and the next birth. The immunological response of female tammars to their mate was examined by 1-way mixed leukocyte culture (MLC) carried out at the beginning and end of 1 breeding season. In virgin females examined at the beginning of the breeding season, the MLC response to the prospective mate peaked on day 6. By the end of the season, MLC responses were much lower and peaked earlier, on days 3-5.