Abnormal Morphology of Bovine Spermatozoa (Second Edition)

Dr Perry is delighted to announce the publication of the second edition of the seminal text Abnormal Morphology of Bovine Spermatozoa. She has joined forces with the original authors Emeritus Professors Barth and Oko along with the eminent andrologists Peter Sutovsky and Lauren Hamilton in authoring this new edition.

This book provides a broad perspective on understanding bovine fertility, focusing on the classification and interpretation of bovine sperm defects.

Building upon the success of its first edition published in 1989, this new edition has been significantly updated and expanded to reflect developments over the past three decades. The chapters cover topics such as the normal and abnormal development of bovine sperm, the mechanisms behind sperm defects, and the impact of these defects on fertility. Special attention is drawn to advances in genomic research and the use of sperm quality biomarkers and genetic screening tests in the assessment of bull fertility. In addition, the work explores critical periods for sexual development in bulls, such as early gestation and pre-weaning.

This monograph is intended for researchers and students in the field of animal reproduction, veterinarians, and animal scientists. It provides a deep understanding of bovine fertility, a topic that is crucial for anyone working in livestock production or related fields. The knowledge gained from this book will be beneficial to those seeking to improve livestock productivity and thus contribute to global food security.

About the authors

Albert Barth received his DVM degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1971 and worked in private practice for 7 years. He received a Master of Veterinary Science degree in 1978, and board certification in the American College of Theriogenologists in 1982. For the remainder of his career he was on faculty at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, involved in teaching, clinical service and research. He received professorship in 1987 and retired in 2013. His main research interests were in applied theriogenology with emphasis on bull fertility. Dr Barth was instrumental in getting the first edition of the book, by Barth and Oko, published by Iowa Press in 1989.

Viv Perry obtained her PhD in bull fertility from the School of Veterinary Science at the University of Queensland in 1988. Her postdoctoral fellowship focused on fetal programming in the heifer, with particular emphasis upon the effect of gestational diet upon reproductive development of the offspring. In 2011 she was appointed Associate Professor at the School of Veterinary and Medical Science, University of Nottingham. Dr Perry’s leadership in UK and Australian universities of large-scale bovine research studies into both fetal programming and bull fertility has enabled a greater understanding of the role of diet upon bovine development and fertility. She holds honorary research positions at both the University of Queensland and Adelaide and manages commercial semen laboratories.

Lauren E. Hamilton earned her PhD in Biomedical and Molecular Sciences specialising in Reproduction and Development from Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada in 2019. She was a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Missouri-Columbia from 2020 to 2024 and a 2021 Lalor Foundation Fellowship recipient. Her work focuses on the proteomic composition of mammalian sperm structures, the genomic origins of sperm morphology defects and the use of sperm nanopurification technology to improve the overall sperm quality of a bovine ejaculate.

Peter Sutovsky earned his PhD from the Czech Academy of Sciences in 1994. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and Staff Scientist at the Oregon Health & Science University, before his 2001 faculty appointment at the University of Missouri, where he is currently a Professor of Animal Science, and Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health. He is recognised for his studies of mammalian gametogenesis, fertilisation and embryo development with emphasis on the gamete and zygotic ubiquitin-proteasome system. His most recent work focuses on biomarker-based flow cytometric semen analysis, semen nanopurification, sperm genome-to-phenotype research, and sperm capacitation studies aimed at improving conception rates in livestock and humans.

Richard Oko obtained his PhD in Veterinary Anatomy from the University of Saskatchewan in 1984, under the supervision of Dr Francis Hrudka. He then held a postdoctoral position under Dr Yves Clermont at McGill University, where he was subsequently appointed Assistant Professor. Dr Oko then joined the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at Queen’s University, becoming a Full Professor in 2004. He is recognised for studies on the developmental biology of specialised mammalian sperm head and tail components, their molecular composition and their roles during fertilisation.

Abnormal Morphology of Bovine Spermatozoa (Second Edition) at Springer