Matson's
Laboratory LLC
US Post Office address:
PO Box 308, Milltown MT 59851 USA
Physical address (for UPS, FedEx, and other
couriers:
8140 Flagler Road, Milltown MT 59851 USA
Email address: gjmatson@montana.com
We
will no longer accept soft tissue for processing
after June 1, 2008.
We will continue to receive, process, and analyze soft tissue
samples until June 1, 2008. We hope this will enable you
to go ahead with any sampling that you had planned for the
07-08 season.
We
are experiencing a steadily increasing demand for our cementum
aging and tetracycline screening services and feel that
we must focus our energies in those directions in order
to best serve our clients.
Matson's
appreciates your business and we hope that the discontinued
service will not be too much of an inconvenience. Thanks
for working with us!
Methods
Two
procedures are used in the laboratory, one macro and the
other histological. Both procedures detect the presence
of corpora lutea (CL) of pregnancy. Ovaries are either sliced
with a razor blade or histologically sectioned to identify
the CL. Corpora albicantia in deer ovaries can be identified
during the macro method. Methods of field collection, preservation,
and shipment for analysis are described in the "Preparation
of specimens..." and "Shipment
of specimens..." sections of this site.
Applications
Members
of the Family Mustelidae (e.g. marten, fisher, weasel) have
delayed implantation, in which a fertilization during the
spring breeding season is followed by a period of embryo
dormancy until the following spring. Trapper harvest occurs
during winter, when the uterus has no visible sign of pregnancy.
Analysis of the ovaries will determine the pregnancy rate
for the population, and provide a rough estimate of its
reproductive potential. Corpora lutea are histologically
resilient, persisting even when specimens cannot be promptly
preserved.
Macro
analysis of deer ovaries will identify cases of pregnancy
at times when signs of embryo growth are not yet present,
such as early fall. For example, the method may yield useful
information from carcass surveys during early fall hunting
seasons. The fall-collected deer ovary may also yield identifiable
corpora albicantia, indicators of pregnancy during the just-preceding
year. For more information about deer ovary analysis, request
the paper by Parker and Matson (1995) listed in the "Publications"
section of this site.
Complications
The
presence of a corpus luteum in, for example, a marten ovary
is not evidence of a surviving offspring. The estimate of
reproductive potential determined by a corpus luteum count
is only an approximation. However, some isolated furbearer
populations under certain stresses may have reduced pregnancy
rates detectable by ovary analysis.
In
deer, a corpus albicans (CA) of the most recent pregnancy
is clearly evident in the fall. As the season progresses,
however, the CA is diffused by tissue growth dynamics caused
by corpus luteum growth. The diffusion is continued during
subsequent years' cyclic ovarian follicle growth. After
study in this laboratory, we concluded that deer CA older
than a few months could not by unequivocally identified.
Specimen Handling
Follow
guidelines given in the "Preparation
of specimens..." section of this site for collecting
and preserving ovaries. Preserve them in 10% formalin, or
formalin substitute as soon as possible after death, even
though the corpora lutea are remarkably resilient in the
face of post-mortem necrosis. Keep specimens as free from
dirt and hair as possible, and remove the extra, non-target
tissue before preserving the ovaries. It is most important
to package specimens so there is no leakage to the outside
of the carton during transit. During recent years, the postal
services have understandably become more cautious about
handling leaking cartons. Please pay particular attention
to the packaging instructions, using the recommended small
amounts of water. Double bag specimens, and include plenty
of absorbent material to ensure there is absolutely no leakage.
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