Gender Identification in Emu (dromaius Novaehollandiae) - a Review

Distinct phenotypic sexual dimorphism servers as one of the key factors that can enable one to categorize the individual to a particular sex. However in case of ratite bird emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) this phenotypic distinctness between males and females is less evident and careful observation of adult birds would help to identify the sexes. Other methods of sex identification such as the sexing by feather pattern observation, vent sexing, surgical sexing and karyotyping do not appear to yield confirmatory results. The identification of a sequence of DNA on sex chromosomes and then its use as a marker for sex diagnosis in such species where sexing of the birds is difficult can solve the problem, as the pairing of the birds could be done at the chick stage. Such confirmatory methods of sexing would be highly beneficial for the emu farmers and breeders.