Abstract
Chickens and Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) have traditionally been the primary avian models in developmental biology research. Recently, the blue‐breasted quail (Coturnix chinesis), the smallest species in the order Galliformes, has been proposed as an excellent candidate model in avian developmental studies owing to its precocious and prolific properties. However, data on the embryonic development of blue‐breasted quail are scarce. Here, we developed a normal developmental series for the blue‐breasted quail based on developmental features. The blue‐breasted quail embryos take 17 days to reach the hatching period at 37.7°C. We documented specific periods of incubation in which significant development occurred, and created a 39‐stage developmental series. The developmental series for the blue‐breasted quail was almost identical to that for chickens and Japanese quail in the earlier stages of development (stages 1–16). Our staging series is especially useful at later stages of development (stages 34–39) of blue‐breasted quail embryos as a major criterion of staging in this phase of development was the weight of embryos and the length of third toes.
Highlights
Avian embryos have been commonly used in the field of developmental biology to study developmental processes and cell fate within the embryo
The Hamburger and Hamilton (1951) staging series for chicken embryos has been most widely used as a normal table for staging avian embryos in various species
This staging table is roughly applicable to other avian species, for example, Japanese quail, turkey, duck, goose, and guinea fowl in the first 72 hr of incubation, there are slight developmental differences (Sellier, Brillard, Dupuy, & Bakst, 2006)
Summary
Avian embryos have been commonly used in the field of developmental biology to study developmental processes and cell fate within the embryo. The blue-breasted quail is the smallest species in the order Galliformes and is about half the body size of a Japanese quail, enabling easy handling. A definitive developmental staging series has been developed for Japanese quail that is focused on developmental features and feather pigmentation patterns (Ainsworth, Stanley, & Evans, 2010; Zacchei, 1961). These developmental series for chickens and Japanese quail are largely applicable to the development of blue-breasted quail, there might be some divergent developmental features among these species. Thereafter, comparative studies of the embryonic development of the blue-breasted quail, chickens, and Japanese quail were conducted
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