Surface Scanning Electron Microscopy of Suri Alpaca Fiber and Other Members of the Camel Family

SCIENCE Surface Scanning Electron Microscopy of Suri Alpaca Fiber and Other Members of the Camel Family

By Andy and Dr. Cheryl Tillman

SEM scanning demonstrates that the To provide a baseline to other members cuticular cell length, height, and scale of the Camel Family, 19 llama, eight edge angle of suri alpaca fiber is huacaya, six vicuña, five guanaco, and measurably different from huacaya two de-haired Bactrian camel samples alpaca, cashmere, wool, and other were also analyzed. Other specialty members of the Camel Family. fibers analyzed included one sample The Washington State Disease Diag- each of white angora rabbit, washed nostic Lab (WADDL) in Pullman, WA fawn mohair, and Bombay silk. Two analyzed 35 suri alpaca fiber samples samples each of Soft Rolling Skin® with surface scanning electron micro- (SRS) merino wool, and both domestic scopy in February through November (in the grease) and very fine, washed 2005 for the authors. The WADDL white Chinese cashmere were tested. normally uses the Electron Microscopy SEM scanning demonstrates that the and Imaging Center (EMIC) to cuticular cell scale length, frequency, identify virus and bacteria species for height, and scale edge angle of suri the state of Washington. Samples were alpaca fiber is measurably different Suri fiber is characterized by an indistinct scale prepared by EM Supervisor Chris from these other specialty fibers and edge that is difficult to visualize even with Davitt, Ph.D., who took two micro- other members of the Camel Family. digital imaging tools. graphs of each fiber sample. Cuticular scale length is expressed as the Mean Scale Frequency (MSF) per Terminology 100 micron (µ) field of view as measured by the SEM. High-luster suri appears to be most similar to cashmere, Angstrom (Å): A unit of length, equal to one ten-millionth of a millimeter, primarily used to express electromagnetic wavelengths. though it has an even longer and lower Compound Microscope: An optical microscope with two ocular lenses. scale height. This study has important Cuticular Cell Scale: The external-most structure of hair. implications for the alpaca industry, Highly Evolved: a merino or huacaya that has a high frequency of crimp, or including AOBA and the AFCNA. Suri a suri with unusually high luster or tightly-penciled locks. alpaca breeders can now claim to pro- Mean Scale Frequency (MSF): The number of cuticle scales per 100 micron duce a natural fiber which has luster that are the mean of the data set. that is equal to or greater than cashmere. Micrograph: A digital photograph of the SEM sample. Due to its very low cuticular scale Micron: 1/1,000,000 of a meter (1/10,000 of a millimeter, or about 1/25,000th of height, both suri and huacaya breeders an inch). can explain why their products have Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM): Use of the electron microscope to view the surface characteristics of an object. superior handle, compared to wool of South American Camelid (SAC): A literal translation of Camelidos Sud Amer- similar average fiber diameter (AFD). icanos, incorporating all the members of the Lama genus, including the alpaca, llama, guanaco, and vicuña. Sample Demographics Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM): Use of the electron microscope Samples were collected from 35 suri to view an object on-end, rather than on the surface of the subject. alpacas, comprised of 20 male and 15 females. Thirty of the suris were

158 ■ Alpacas Magazine Most of the straighter fiber samples had exceptional luster and a low MSF.

The narrow flat lock was highly correlated to luster in this study.

offspring from the 1991, 1996, and “Yocum-McColl” sample site used for 1998 Bolivian importations to the laser scanning. The second phase of USA. These animals were randomly fiber samples had a slightly lower MSF selected from our own herd based on than the first. Twenty of the suri whether we had fiber samples or fleeces alpacas had a uniform age range of 11 saved from the previous year’s clip. to 13 months at the time of sampling. Three Australian suris were also tested. Eight samples from Phase 2 were sec- These were first-generation suris from a ond or third fleeces, rather than virgin suri x huacaya cross that were pheno- fleeces (and these animals were three to typically suri. Two more of our suris five years old). Three of these could be were from Peruvian origins. Fiber sam- compared to the same animal’s virgin ples were collected in two phases. The fleece. MSF was within +/- 10% of the first phase of 14 samples was collected virgin fleece. No significant difference from shorn virgin fleeces. The remain- was noted between the first and subse- ing (majority) of samples were taken quent fleeces. The remaining seven A well-locked suri in his second fleece, like from unshorn suris using a uniform animals were 21 to 25 months old. this animal, typically had an MSF of 7-7.5.

Spring 2006 ■ 159 According to ARI statistics, over half of measure the length of each scale on a all suri alpacas in the United States are fiber, the height of scale, frequency of colors other than white. About two-thirds scale, angle of scale, and fiber diameter. of this study were colored: eleven subjects For the purposes of this article, the rel- were white, eight brown, seven black, atively simple International Wool Tex- five fawns, three greys, and one beige. tile Organization (IWTO) DTM-XX-97 The majority of samples (21) had a methodology was used with the excep- twisted style of lock, including several tion of viewing the samples at 1,000 X with a highly-evolved “pearl” lock of magnification rather than 600 X. The 3-4 very small inter-twined locks. The higher magnification was necessary for style of lock ranged from cotted to accurately measuring suri scale height, “independent.” The remaining samples which is almost impossible to measure had either a narrow flat lock (3), a rela- even with digital imaging tools. Wool tively straight fleece that clung closely has a scale height of <8 micron and can to the body (6), a fan-shaped lock (3), easily be measured at 600 X. or a coiled (corkscrew) lock (2). Four Measuring scale height is important, Dr. Chris Davitt, PhD, with sample dishes in of the donors were overweight, and since scale height is one reason suri front of her Scanning Electron Microscope in these had the strongest Average Fiber alpaca fiber has a low coefficient of Pullman, Washington. Diameter (AFD). The samples were friction and feels finer than it is. laser scanned and had an AFD of Following IWTO DTM-XX-97 16.7-32.8µ with a mean of 22.8µ and methodology, the authors counted the 10.3% coarse fibers. All of the subject number of cuticular scales in a 100 animals were healthy, de-wormed, body micron field of view. Scale frequency is score condition 7-9, and compared to expressed as a Mean Scale Frequency A 13mm long fiber sample is attached to the the population at large, free of heat (MSF). A lower MSF indicates a longer SEM stub with electrically conductive tape. stress (we shear). None of the donors cuticular scale. A higher MSF indicates had ever been washed with shampoo a series of shorter scales. A literature or conditioners. search revealed that an MSF for wool ranges from 10-12, depending on Why SEM? breed, 6-8 for de-haired cashmere, and The SEM micrographs provide detail 6-7 for de-haired mohair.3 Some care is not obtainable with a conventional required to achieve consistent results compound microscope. An optical using IWTO-97 methodology. A varia- The golden fleece! Fiber samples have been microscope uses visible light of a wave- tion of 10-30% was possible. depending coated with 20-30 Å of pure gold prior to being length of several thousand angstroms on where you counted the scales. Wool viewed by the Electron Microscope. (Å). Such an instrument is actually a and huacaya alpaca could easily be photon microscope, since a ray of light counted on the edge of the fiber sam- is a beam of photons. An electron ple, but suri – which has virtually no microscope uses a beam of electrons scale height – was most easily counted instead of a beam of light. down the center of the fiber. Using The main advantage of the EM micro- Adobe Photoshop to open the microscope is its potential for very high graphs, huacaya scales could be count- resolving power. This is based on the ed viewing the micrograph at 50% possibility of using electrons whose de actual size, while suri required viewing Broglie wavelengths are less than 1Å. at 66-200%. We standardized on Objects as small as 2.3Å have been counting scales on the left edge of the resolved, a feat forever beyond the capa- sample viewing it at 100% actual size. bility of a microscope using visible light.1 Very precise measurement of fiber diameter, scale length, height, and scale Research Methodology edge angle, can be accomplished using Micrographs were taken at an accelerat- digital imaging software. We tried ing voltage of 15 Kilo Volt (KV) and Scion Corporation’s Image for Windows, The Long Smooth Scale™ of suri fiber can 1,000 X. The quality of the micrographs and Image-J software, which is available clearly be seen in this micrograph. Average scale length was 16.25µ. The debris in back- taken by a skilled EM instructor like Dr. as a free download by the National ground is dandruff. Davitt made it possible to accurately Institutes for Health (NIH). The NIH

160 ■ Alpacas Magazine Image-J was much more stable on our Commercialization of SEM? Windows XP platform than the A used SEM costs USD$50,000. Add- Macintosh-based Scion Image, which is ing the other peripherals can raise the an industry standard in SEM labs. price to USD $250,000. Training to Surface SEM of suri alpacas was first prepare the samples and take micro- conducted in the United States in 1998 graphs would take at least a term of at the University of Idaho at Moscow, college-level classes in statistics and by Suvia Judd and Deborah Berman.2 imaging software. SEM is a powerful Judd and Berman analyzed two fiber tool that can help breeders determine samples and hypothesized a high corre- the inherent luster of their most valuable lation between scale length and luster. animals. But it is unlikely that SEM SEM of South American Camelid (SAC) will ever be as common a test procedure fiber has been published at least three as laser scanning for determining AFD. times prior to Judd and Berman in 1988 The cost of the equipment is just too (Phan), 1996 (Antonini et al), and 1997 great. Cuticular scales can be visualized (IWTO). Antonini’s study is particularly by an inexpensive optical microscope important. Extracting the data on just by coating the fiber samples with a lac- A bright fleece like this has a fan-shaped rather Peruvian suris from that of Argentine quer that enhances the contrast of the than a twisted lock. SAC with “Lustre” established that scales. While sample preparation may Peruvian suris have a MSF of 7.5. This be as time-consuming as SEM, this is a is equal to cashmere. The 1997 IWTO much less expensive method of docu- study of specialty fibers is one of many menting MSF. Unfortunately, the lac- which have tried to find an economical quer greatly exaggerates the cuticular method of testing large quantities of scale height of the sample. Since SAC cashmere for purity. The very low MSF fiber has a very low scale height, SEM of cashmere, compared to wool, makes is still the preferred method of analyz- SEM an effective tool to identify ing surface scale structure. blended shipments of cashmere. The author’s sample of suri and Luster specialty fibers is the largest domestic Luster is the primary, and probably analysis conducted to date. the only, reason the textile industry purchases suri alpaca fiber. Sample Preparation Suri can be used in many of the same Dr. Davitt prepared the fiber sample by applications as silk and cashmere. It is cutting the center 13mm (½ inch) out frequently blended with merino, silk, of the locks. Dr. Davitt believed using or cashmere to add luster to the fabric Luster is the primary reason the textile industry purchases suri fiber. This brushed suri coat by the center of each sample was prefer- used in men’s suits. Beatriz Canedo Patiño is made from 100% suri. able to one close to the skin or near the “Luster is strongly associated with mo- tip, and I concurred. The fiber sample hair, based on its relatively large suris mounted on an aluminum disc with face cuticle scales and low cuticle scale electrically-conductive tape and edge height relative to merino wool.” 3 screwed into place on the sample dish. A SEM dish holds twelve The end-use of suri alpaca fiber is sub- 13mm sample discs. stantially different than Baby Huacaya, The fiber samples were placed in which can compete for fineness with a vacuum chamber and coated with some grades of merino wool. Suri is 20-30 angstroms of pure gold. A high more likely to be used in a semi- voltage is applied in a vacuum chamber worsted or woolen manufacturing to a bar of 99.9% pure gold, which process and huacaya in a worsted yarn coats the fiber samples with a plasma like merino. Our study of eight hua- of gold ions. The SEM is actually caya alpaca samples demonstrated that visualizing the gold ions that coat the huacaya breeders can selectively breed sample, not the fiber sample itself. for enhanced brightness in their fleece. Platinum and aluminum can also A reduction in MSF of 25-30% should be used to coat the samples. be relatively easy to accomplish.

Spring 2006 ■ 161 Lock emphasis on an “independent lock,” It would be premature to assign value than any other characteristic, including to one lock type over another until a luster or conformation. Our SEM more thorough SEM is made of suri study did not identify any correlation alpaca fiber. between a twisted lock and luster. If The authors had hoped to identify anything, they may be inversely pro- some correlation between lock types, portional. In this study, the relatively which naturally occur in the suri alpaca, straight fleeces, and those with a nar- and the length of scale which is highly row straight lock usually had a longer correlated to luster. Our sample size and lower scale height than animals was too small to conclusively identify a with twisted locks. Suri breeders, the trend. However, it is probably accurate AOBA Show Committee, and the to say that a straighter fleece is more Judges Training Committee should likely to have a very low MSF than a keep abreast of SEM technology as it twisted lock. A literature search suggests applies to suri alpaca fleeces. It would that some lock types may actually inhib- certainly be premature to favor one MSF 4.6. Second and third fleeces had a very it perceived luster more than others. lock type over another until the results low MSF. Pictured is a 3 month re-growth on For instance, a high frequency of of TSN 100-fleece study is completed. "Rewinds" third fleece. There is no reason not to show shorn suri’s in AOBA halter classes! crimp in cashmere does adversely affect the perceived luster of the fiber. Scale Height “Perceived luster of wool is affected by The scale height of suri alpaca fiber staple structure and fiber curvature. was almost impossible to measure, Low curvature in wool allows the fibers even with digital imaging tools. It is to more closely align. As Khan (1996) essentially a mono-filament, like silk. reported, if the staple crimp form in The height of scale on suri alpaca fiber wool was ‘planar’ (sinusoidal as was almost impossible to measure, even opposed to helical), such wool would with digital Image-J software. This char- have a high luster. On this basis, the acteristic is probably as significant to the use of perceived luster as an aid in the textile industry as suri’s very low MSF. classifying of cashmere may be con- The scale height of both suri and hua- Twenty-one of the 35 suri samples were from founded by different cashmere fiber caya fiber has not been accurately report- well locked individuals like this. A twisted lock curvature. Thus luster of cashmere ed in previous scientific literature, which probably does reduce luster compared to a should be assessed on manually is probably due to the fact that an opti- straighter fleece. straightened fiber to minimize any cal rather than SEM has been used. effect of fiber crimp.” 4 “The smoothness of alpaca and mohair compared to wool is due to the scales Applying McGregor’s findings to suri being around half the height of wool at alpacas may suggest that a tightly twist- around the same micron.” 10 ed (helical) lock may diffuse light more than a straighter fleece. It may also While Mr. Sporle made an important make the handle feel coarser than it and accurate observation about the actually is. Analysis of the Baby Camel handle of alpaca and mohair, scale supports the notion that crimp and/or height is much lower than “one-half a twisted lock may reduce luster in the height of wool.” In our study, it SAC fiber. was one-tenth the height! Huacaya “Wool with larger fiber crimp ampli- fiber had slightly taller scale height tude is associated with softer handle. than suri, but was still typically under Wools exhibiting a coiled (helical) 3/10µ. The most highly evolved Soft crimp configuration receive harsher Rolling Skin (SRS) merino fiber like handle scores than wools with sinu- that analyzed in this study had a scale soidal (wavy) crimp configurations.” 3 height of 3-4 micron, and most merino is <8 micron. Bruce McGregor, in the It is probably fair to say that the Australian Farm Journal 2003, defacto breed standard in AOBA sanc- explained the importance of scale tioned shows puts a much greater height and length when he wrote:

162 ■ Alpacas Magazine Compare the lack of scale height of this suri The low scale height of suri can clearly be seen The scale edge of suri is so indistinct that it sample to that of merino or cashmere (see in this micrograph which shows three damaged was difficult to measure even with digital photos on p. 168-169). cuticle scales. Notice how thin they are! imaging tools.

“The greater the directional friction appeared to be elliptical. One vicuna effect due to the wool fiber cuticle had distinct grooves. Since there were scales, the harsher the handle.” 3 frequently two fibers in each micrograph, and occasionally three, we ana- This opinion is further enhanced by lyzed nearly 200 suri and huacaya J.E. Watts and Janie Hicks: fibers for roundness. The elliptical sam- “Fine cylindrical fibers have low scale ples tended to come from suris that height. When these fibers are also long, were well locked, but not exclusively the fiber scales will be long as well as so. More research will be needed to flat. The combination of long flat scales determine what, if anything, this differ- imparts a smooth or silky feel to the ence in fiber profile means. TEM wool.” 5 and/or skin biopsies would be a more accurate way to determine if a hair fol- Because wool has such a high scale licle is round or elliptical. height compared to suri, whether an To an end-user, the very low scale individual fiber is round or elliptical is height of suri is probably of much probably not as important to alpaca more significance than if an individual Elliptical Suri Fiber – MSF 5.25. About 30% of the alpaca samples had one or two grooves breeders as it is to merino producers. fiber is round or elliptical. You can running along the surface of the fiber, indicating appreciate this for yourself by feeling they are probably elliptical rather than round. Round or Ellipical Fibers? the “hand” of a neck scarf made from While Watts’ and Hicks’ SRS system is pashmina (cashmere) or merino wool not universally accepted, their research of similar AFD. strongly suggests a correlation between handle and a round rather than ellipti- Transmission Electron cal fiber. When I showed these SEM Microscopy (TEM) micrographs to Ian Watt, he soon TEM can also be used to visualize the found fibers that he believed were ellip- cortex of a fiber sample. The percent- tical rather than round. These are easily age of orthocortical and paracortical identified by two thin grooves running cells in the cortex is important. Wool is parallel to the direction of the fiber bilateral, with both orthocortical and with a rounded segment between them. paracortical cells, which is responsible About a third of suri and huacaya for its crimp.9 Cashmere with more samples had one or two grooves run- mesocortical cells, has a higher ning the entire length of the fiber. microfibril packing density than wool Most were completely round. No of the same diameter, so it has less llama, guanaco or camel samples curvature. Optical analysis of suri fiber

Spring 2006 ■ 163 suggests it is not bilateral, and this would help explain why it is such a straight fiber. It is much more time consuming to prepare samples for TEM than SEM, and therefore more expensive. TEM will probably require industry support from ARF, AOBA or TSN.

Statistical Analysis “7.0 Scale/100 micron seems to be a distinctive parameter for suri.” 6 Dr. Davitt supplied the author with 1.7 megabyte, 8 bit gray scale, TIFF files captured with a Scion Grabber card from the SEM. Two micrographs were taken of each sample. One to MSF 5.O Suri is nearly as bright as mohair but MSF 5.75. Suri breeders need to reduce the AFD three fibers could be measured in each has a much lower AFD. of their clip to be competitive with other specialty micrograph. These black and white fibers. This sample is both fine (<19µ) and bright. micrographs had remarkable brightness and contrast. I used the NIH Image-J software to measure the diameter of fiber samples, and using the angle tool, the angle of scale perpendicular to the fiber. There was an obvious difference between huacaya and suri samples. Suri samples were typically less than 45 degrees, while huacaya and llama were closer to 70 degrees. Both scale edge angle and MSF can be used to identify suri from huacaya or llama fibers. Using modified IWTO-97 methodology, the MSF of our suri samples was 6.15 scales per 100µ. This is about 20% superior to cashmere or the Peruvian suris in Antonini’s study. MSF 6.5. The MSF of suri alpaca fiber in the MSF 7.0. The suri sample in this image has a Scales were frequently as long as the study of 35 suri alpacas was 6.15/100 micron. lower MSF than cashmere. fiber was wide. There did not appear to be a relationship between scale length and fiber diameter as reported in the literature for other specialty fibers. This is good news for suri breeders, since selecting for fineness should not adversely affect luster. The average scale length was 16.25µ. Antonini concluded that; “7.0 Scale/100 micron seems to be a distinctive parameter for suri.” 6

While highly-evolved suris like those I analyzed have an even lower MSF, our data certainly supports that assertion. Separating out the Phase 2 data which was taken from a uniform collection site, MSF 10.0. The highest frequency suri had a The finest suri analyzed may be showing signs lower MSF than the mean of all huacaya samples. of a “wool break” on the far right. AFD was just the difference between our suris and 12-16µ. Antonini’s was even more significant.

164 ■ Alpacas Magazine Suri alpacas do have guard hair. Here we see a The number of scales per 100µ varied depend- Bright Huacaya – MSF 11. Huacaya fiber had a 24µ secondary fiber in front of a 40µ guard hair. ing on where you counted them. Suri guard hair higher MSF than suri and a 70 degree rather had a MSF of 8.65 with a range of 4-13. than 45 degree scale edge angle.

■ MSF 5.5 2nd & 3rd fleece to identify. There was a significant dif- ■ MSF 5.8 virgin fleece ference between the MSF of guard hair ■ Range 3-10.25 on suris between Phase 1 & 2. This ■ MSF guard hair 8.65 was probably due to the uniform col- ■ Range 4-12 lection site used in Phase 2 and the fact ■ Phase 1 & 2 combined MSF 6.15 we intentionally included some samples ■ Substantially lower than Antonini’s that were “hairy” or had a stronger Peruvian data (7.5). AFD in Phase 1. It is probably accurate to say that SAC typically have guard MSF should not be disassociated hair with about 16 scales/100µ. with scale height. When the scale height is impossible to measure, and Huacaya you have to zoom in on the micro- Eight huacayas were evaluated, five graph to 200% actual size to even visu- males and three females. Samples were alize a scale edge, you have what is collected from virgin fleece. These were essentially a mono-filament like silk. highly-evolved huacayas, with 2.0 to Several of the suris with a relatively 3.0 crimp per cm, clearly defined Fine Huacaya – MSF 11.0. Huacaya samples were very fine, seldom exceeding 19µ. high MSF of 7-8 were so smooth that bundling, and two were unusually it still had a very slick, cool handle. bright. AFD was 16-19 micron. While our suri samples were randomly select- Guard Hair ed, based on fleeces or Yocum-McColl Primary hair follicles (guard hair) of samples we had on hand, these hua- the Camel Family had a distinctly dif- cayas were hand-picked to represent a ferent scale pattern than the secondary dense, bundled, extremely fine, or very fibers. With the exception of vicuñas, bright fleece. Huacaya samples had an they were usually much stronger (high- MSF of 11.0, which is similar to wool, er AFD) and had an extremely high with a range of 8.0-12.0 MSF. This frequency of scale. These primary fibers correlates to an average scale length of had extremely low scale height, and 9.0µ. Scale height was greater than suri, despite their AFD and scale frequency but typically <0.3µ, which is ten times probably had good luster. They were less than the most highly-evolved meri- uniformly round, rather than elliptical. no wool. The scale edge angle of hua- The scale pattern had what appeared to caya fibers was about 70 degrees, com- Sheepy Huacaya – MSF 10-12. This is either a be a fractured or very busy “mosaic” pared to 45 degrees for suri. This may 16µ guard hair or a very "sheepy" secondary from a fine huacaya. Note how similar it is to appearance. This, combined with their be responsible for its slightly greater the undercoat of the double-coat llama (see large AFD, made them relatively easy scale height. Among the huacaya sam- images on the next page).

Spring 2006 ■ 165 ples, the longest scale length also had to a single-coat fleece of this quality. the greatest amplitude of crimp. This These llamas had a scale height less was a bright, well-bundled, “elite” than or equal to huacaya alpacas. fleece. Primary and secondary fibers Handle could be either warm or cool. were nearly the same AFD, though the The suri-llama samples had an MSF primary fibers could always be identi- of 7.0, which is slightly superior to fied by their high frequency, and Antonini’s Peruvian suri alpacas. Six of “sheepy” scale pattern. the 11 donors were top ten World Futurity suri-llama champions. Alpaca breeders should take note of how quickly llama breeders have been able to improve fiber characteristics. Huacaya breeders should be able to add brightness to their fleeces relatively quickly using SEM, and suri breeders Guard hair from a short-wool, double-coat llama should be able to simultaneously had a MSF of 16.5 with a range of 14-19. This reduce AFD while increasing luster. sample is 50 micron AFD, which is not unusual. Llama Baby Camel There are three distinct breed-types of The two Baby Camel samples (Bactrian llama raised in the United States. We camel) were imported from China. tested examples of each, including: a They had been de-haired to less than traditional short-wooled, double-coated 2% coarse fibers (>30µ). The Baby ccarra llama (32µ AFD and >50% Camel was very fine, <18 micron, and guard hair); eight single-coat llamas had an MSF of just 6.875, with a range (<9.5% coarse fibers and 21µ AFD); of 6.15-8.0. It’s resistance to compres- and 11 SLA-registered suri-llamas, sion felt less than huacaya, but was still most of which had pedigrees that were very “lofty” compared to suri. It had a several generations long. (They are not warm, rather than cool, handle. The hybrid alpaca x llamas). frequency and amplitude of crimp was The surface structure of a ccarra fiber not visible since all of its fibers had sample looked almost identical to hua- been aligned into a roving. It did not caya samples with an MSF of 11.5. appear to be a particularly bright fleece, However, their primary hair follicles yet it had an MSF similar to suri, The undercoat of the double-coat llama is much (guard hair) had a much greater AFD, which had not been washed or de- finer (24µ) than its guard hair. The undercoat is haired. Plucking a string of fiber out of similar to a "sheepy" huacaya alpaca. and was routinely >50 micron. Secondary fibers averaged 24 microns the camel’s roving and wrapping it and looked very “sheepy.” The llamas’ around our fingers revealed that it was guard hair had an MSF of 16.5 with a much brighter than our first impres- range of 14-19. The surface structure sion. (This straightens the fibers). of a double-coat llama shows a much As McGregor found with cashmere, greater similarity to huacaya fibers than crimp does appear to reduce luster. The suri. This may be of interest to warm handle of Baby Camel may also archaeozoologists, and could have some suggest that scale height and crimp are taxonomic significance. as important as MSF. The scale height Secondary fibers of single coat llama of camel did not have an abrupt edge were very suri-like with an MSF of 8.0 like wool or cashmere, but was measur- and a range of 7.5-10.0. These highly- able with digital imaging tools and was evolved 21µ llama fleeces are indicative similar to huacaya. Dr. Davitt noted of what is shown in Alpaca and Llama that the specialty fibers like cashmere, Show Association (ALSA) medium- silk, SRS merino, and Baby Camel, and long- wool halter classes. Starting were definitely more “fly-away” than from very humble beginnings, it has suri. She even wondered if they would Single-Coat Llama – MSF 8.0. Single-coat llamas taken llama breeders 30 years (10 gen- “stay on the SEM stubs when the elec- had a MSF less than SRS merino wool! erations) to develop from a double-coat tron beam hits them!”

166 ■ Alpacas Magazine ■ De-haired baby camel finer secondary fibers. It would be ■ Low MSF (6.875) interesting to analyze de-haired ■ Higher scale height than suri guanaco roving. ■ Crimp reduces luster & handle ■ Brighter if straightened

Suri breeders should be proud of the fact that a random sampling of Bolivian suri alpacas equals or exceeds the MSF of washed and de-haired Baby Camel.

Baby Camel – MSF 6.875. Crimp greatly reduced the luster of this de-haired roving. Straightening the fibers showed its inherent luster.

Guanaco Dr. William Franklin, one of the Vicuña world’s leading authorities on guanacos We analyzed three wild and three and vicuñas, supplied wild-caught gua- domestic vicuñas. Dr. Franklin sup- naco samples from the Falkland plied the vicuña samples from the (Malvinas) Islands. Four of the samples Pampa Galeras National Vicuña came from the back near the top line, Reserve in Peru, and Dr. Toni Cotton and one from two males who were bit- the domestic vicuñas from Jack and ing each others’ necks. Four were red- Miriam Donaldson’s farm in Findlay, dish-brown to fawn in color and one Ohio. The wild vicuñas were two sample was white, probably coming adults and one cria. Samples were col- from high on the side. This was truly a lected from center/middle back, top random sampling! center neck, and center of back with ■ 5 samples from the Falkland Islands guard hair intact. The domestic sam- ■ MSF 11.0 ples were from adult males, and had Guanaco fiber was characterized by 60 micron ■ been de-haired by hand. Staple length guard hair and very fine undercoat. The guard 10-60 micron AFD hair is in front of the 10-12µ undercoat . ■ Lower MSF than vicuña was 40-50mm. The providence of cap- ■ Distinct guard hair with undercoat tive vicuñas is not as likely to be as pure as wild vicuñas, especially in Based on the similarity of their inci- European zoos where South American sors, the guanaco is probably closely exhibits will frequently house all the related to the llama, whereas the vicuña members of the SAC together. is closely related to the alpaca. The However, these samples had largely MSF of these authentically-pure guana- similar MSF and AFD. cos certainly supports a close relation- ■ 6 samples (3 wild-caught) ship between the guanaco and the dou- ■ Range 8.5-15 scales/100 microns ble-coat ccarra-type llama. The under- ■ MSF 12.1875 coat of the guanaco samples was very ■ 12-15µ AFD fine, and some fibers were as small as ■ Very uniform 10 microns! However, the guard hair was much more prevalent than any of The vicuña samples were among the the other breeds or species of SAC, and most interesting of the study. They several 60-micron guard hairs would had a higher MSF than either hua- Vicuña – MSF 12.875. The vicuña samples had a dominate nearly every micrograph, cayas or llamas, and the difference higher MSF than llama, guanaco or huacaya. making it difficult to isolate the much- between primary and secondary fibers AFD 12-15µ.

Spring 2006 ■ 167 was difficult or even impossible to MSF is intermediate between a huacaya determine by SEM. This may be one and suri, which may or may not be due reason the MSF was higher, since with to their huacaya ancestry. (The suri all other members of the SAC, it was with lowest MSF had the greatest per- possible to count primary and second- centage of huacaya pedigree). The scale ary fibers separately. This will be edge and height on 2 of the samples amusing to those of you who have was more distinct than most suris, par- ever de-haired a vicuña fleece. (Those ticularly one of the blacks. little red guard hairs are easy to see but hard to pluck out!) The MSF and Paco-Vicuña AFD of the vicuña samples were the A paco-vicuña is the offspring of an most uniform of all SAC tested. This alpaca and a vicuña. A single paco- is a significant observation, consider- vicuña sample was evaluated from the ing the random nature of the wild- herd of Phil and Chris Switzer in Estes caught samples. A follow-on analysis Park, Colorado. Five fibers were ana- Suri x Huacaya Cross – Average MSF 8.4. Three of vicuña fiber with SEM should lyzed in two micrographs. The provi- F1 or BC1 suri x huacaya crosses from Australia probably analyze guard hair separately dence of this animal could not be veri- were analyzed. from the under-coat. fied, but this breeding male had many vicuña-like characteristics, including HYBRIDS: body size, weight, bi-coloration, staple First-Generation Suri x length, and personality. It was an in- Huacaya Cross utero offspring out of an imported Kenneth Madl of Aviana Farms, sup- Chilean huacaya. plied three colored suris from his herd ■ One sample which is agisted in Strathbogie, ■ Range 11-17 scales/100 microns Victoria, Australia. Two were black and ■ 13.6 MSF one silver-grey, 11 months old. Two ■ 13-24 micron AFD were F1 suri’s with 2-3 generations of ■ Higher MSF than huacaya or vicuña suri x huacaya crosses in their pedigree, and one was a Back Cross 1 with two This animal had the highest MSF of generations s x h and one s x s. Two of the series, which probably goes a long these went on to win their classes at the way toward proving its vicuña pedigree. 2005 Australian national alpaca show. The uniformity of AFD was not nearly Over 3,200 suri alpacas were imported as pronounced as a pure vicuña. Paco-Vicuña – MSF 13.6. Paco-vicuñas had the into the United States from Peru, highest MSF in the study, and a much greater Bolivia, and Chile between 1991-98. OTHER SPECIALTY FIBERS: range of AFD than the pure-bred vicuñas. With such a large population to start Soft Rolling Skin (SRS) Merino with, the vast majority of American As anyone who has ever shopped for an breeders do not cross huacaya and suri expensive man’s suit can tell you, ultra- alpacas. Many fewer suris were import- fine merino wool should probably be ed into Australia, and as a result it is a classified as a “specialty” fiber. Even an commonly-accepted practice in that untrained hand can distinguish the dif- country to cover a huacaya female with ference between a 16µ wool and more a suri male. common fabric. When merino is ■ Three samples from Australia blended with cashmere or suri, the ■ Two true black, one silver-gray handle improves even more. The two ■ Range 6.25-11 scales/100µ SRS merino samples we tested had a ■ 8.4 MSF (intermediate between MSF of 8.6, which is exceptional for huacaya & suri) wool. These two- and three-year-old merino rams had a scale height of just As the photos indicate, these alpacas 3-4 microns, half that of most sheep are phenotypically suri and would not breeds. However, the abrupt scale edge SRS Merino – MSF 8.6. While half the scale be out of place in most colored suri was easily measured. These were height of other sheep breeds, SRS merino is still more than ten times greater than huacaya alpaca herds in the United States. remarkably well-bundled fleeces, with or suri alpaca. While it is a small sample size, the each lock measuring less than ½ cm

168 ■ Alpacas Magazine with SEM, the alpaca industry should be able to substitute suri fiber for many applications that currently use cashmere or mohair.

SRS Merino Fleece

Mohair Fleece with 6-7 crimps per cm. (This is two White Chinese cashmere, MSF 8.625, 14.2µ AFD. to three times the curvature of a typical Mohair huacaya). The two samples were pro- We evaluated a single sample of vided by Ian Watt of Moro Bay, imported fawn mohair. Most mohair California. production comes from South Africa. Mohair is brighter than cashmere, and Cashmere subjectively, appears to be as bright as SEM has demonstrated that suri fiber suri. This sample had been washed. is most similar to cashmere and Even though mohair is very coarse mohair. These goat fleeces must be de- (typically <32µ), it still had a lower haired, but have an MSF and surface MSF than suri. This is largely offset by structure that is much more similar to its much greater AFD and more dis- suri than huacaya or wool. While hua- tinct scale edge. Goat fleeces must be caya breeders can learn much from de-haired, but are microscopically more research based on merino wool, suri similar to suri than wool. Seven-thou- breeders should probably look to other sand tons of mohair are sold each year, resources. indicating the great potential that suri Two cashmere samples were ana- fiber does have. Suri alpaca can certain- lyzed. One sample was collected in the ly be marketed as having similar luster grease from a domestically raised doe. to mohair, while being much finer. Mohair – MSF 4.25, AFD 32µ. Mohair is bright but coarse. She had an MSF of 7.6, scale height of ■ One sample 1-2µ, and 17µ AFD. We also tested a ■ South African mohair washed and de-haired cashmere sample ■ Mohair is from a goat like cashmere which was imported from China and ■ High luster supplied to us by Angus McColl. Mr. ■ MSF 4.25 McColl said that white Chinese cash- ■ Distinct scale compared to suri mere was finer than other colors. It was ■ 32 microns (coarse) very fine, at 14.2µ AFD. Since it had been washed, it was also very bright, Angora Rabbit but had an MSF of only 8.625, about Angora is a single-coat fiber that does like SRS merino. Its range was 7-10 not need to be de-haired. Suri breeder scales per 100 microns, and both sam- Kathleen Cullen gave me a sample of ples were within the range of AFD and white Angora from her flock of MSF reported in a literature search for German rabbits. White Angoras are cashmere.3, 7, & 8 large-bodied and suitable for harvesting Over five-thousand metric tons of their fiber. The cuticle scale pattern of cashmere are sold each year, compared Angora was unlike any other fiber sam- Angora rabbit – MSF 10.6. Angora is a single to just 550 tons of suri. By verifying ple. It can best be described as an coat fleece that does not need to be de-haired. the low MSF and scale height of suri “other-worldly” spiral pattern. It is has an unusual "spiral" scale pattern.

Spring 2006 ■ 169 ■ Single coat fleece from the silk worm’s cocoon, and again ■ 11-15 micron AFD after it is wound. It was very bright. ■ Spiral scale pattern Even at 1,000 X, it was not possible to ■ Range 10-12 scale/100 microns see where the filaments had been reeled ■ 10.6 MSF together. It appears that silk is the only natural fiber which has a smoother Angora is so fine and without guard surface structure than suri. hair that we could easily measure three fibers per micrograph. The deep Challenges and grooves between the spiral-shaped Recommendations scales probably reduce the handle of SEM of suri fiber is a fortuitous con- Angora in the same way that an abrupt vergence of research and marketing. scale edge effects wool. The scale edge Suri alpacas have a lower MSF and angle is similar or greater than huacaya. much lower scale height than cashmere, but no one knows it! To secure their Bombay Silk – AFD 10-12µ. Silk does not have Bombay Silk place as the natural fiber with the a cuticle scale since it is reeled together from Imported Bombay silk had an AFD of greatest combination of fineness and 4-20 filament ends from the silk worm. 10-12 micron. “Bombay” silk comes luster, AOBA judging standards need from the mulberry leaf eating silk to prize luster as highly as an independ- worm. One-hundred-ten-thousand ent lock structure. And we believe this tons of silk are sold each year, making needs to occur in the show ring, not it the dominant luxury fabric in the just on the score card for a fleece com- world. Since it is not a mammal, silk petition. Additionally, we recommend does not have a cuticle scale structure. that the Alpaca Research Foundation Silk is reeled together from 4-20 indi- (ARF) help sponsor research on suri vidual filament ends to make a single fiber. (The Suri Network already is). monofilament that adheres together Clearly, AOBA and the Alpaca Fiber due to the gummy texture on the sur- Cooperative of North America face of the filament. Silk is washed in (AFCNA) both need to make suris’ warm water to separate the filament unique characteristics an integral part

IWTO methodology views fiber samples at 600 X magnification which allows 5-6 fibers to be Acknowledgements analyzed at a time. Dr. Davitt increased magnification to 1,000 X so suri scales could be visual- The authors would like to thank the following friends and colleagues for their assistance: ized more easily. ■ Dr. William Franklin, who supplied us with wild-caught guanaco and vicuña samples from Pampa Galeras and the Falkland Islands. ■ Dr. Toni Cotton of Findlay, Ohio, who provided the domestic vicuña samples. ■ April and Richard Angotti of Benvenuti Farms in Bend, Oregon, who provided the highly-evolved huacaya samples. ■ Sherry Sheridan of Aloha Farms in Bend, Oregon, who provided the double-coat llama sample. ■ Susan Tellez for her foreign language literature search of SEM of the SAC. ■ Kenneth Madl, who provided us with many publications on contemporary wool and cashmere research from Australia, and his first-generation suris from suri x huacaya crosses. ■ Ian Watt, for help in identifying round versus elliptical fibers, and for providing the highly-evolved SRS merino samples. ■ Our local wool guild, the Textilians, who provided us with cashmere, silk, and Baby Camel (Bactrian camel) samples. ■ Angus McColl, who provided the white Chinese cashmere. ■ Dr. Kathleen Cullen of Spokane, Washington, who provided the white Angora. ■ Chris and Phil Switzer of Estes Park, Colorado who supplied the paco-vicuña sample. MSF was not related to AFD as it appears to be ■ Dr. Chris Davitt, WADDL, who prepared and scanned the fiber samples and tutored with other specialty fibers. This is good news since it suggests you can select for enhanced me on the use of imaging software. luster and reduced AFD simultaneously.

170 ■ Alpacas Magazine of their marketing and advertising cam- ■ The “long smooth scale”™ of suri paigns. The low scale height of huacaya fiber averages 16.3µ long fiber compared to wool can also be ■ Huacaya samples averaged 9.0µ emphasized! To be competitive in the ■ This equates to a MSF of 6.125/ luxury fiber market, suri breeders need 100µ suri and 11.0 MSF/100µ to reduce the AFD of their clip. huacaya Fortunately, there was no correlation ■ MSF was not correlated to fiber between luster and AFD in either this diameter. or Antonini’s study, and it should be ■ A low MSF was not correlated to a possible to select for both characteris- twisted lock and may be inversely tics simultaneously. related Cheryl and I have been raising alter- ■ Scale height on both huacaya and native livestock for over thirty years. suri is much less than previously As a result we usually take a macro reported. It would be premature to assign value to one lock type over another until a more thorough view of the issues which face our study of SEM is made of suri alpaca fiber. industry. We have learned that if you do not breed for something, you lose Andy and Dr. Cheryl Tillman funded this it. Whether this is maternal ability research on suri alpaca fiber. The Tillmans (milk production), thriftiness, confor- imported the influential colored suri alpacas mation, or luster, if you take a charac- from Hacienda Acero Marka near La Paz, teristic for granted, you will lose it. Bolivia in 1996. Andy has raised llamas since The results of this research are both 1975 and alpacas since 1982. He is a member exciting and sobering. For instance, of The Suri Network research committee. there is certainly no reason not to Cheryl Tillman has been a camelid veterinarian show shorn suris in AOBA halter since 1985. She sits on the board of directors classes, due to the close correlation for the US Animal Health Association, serves between a virgin, 2nd, and 3rd fleeces on the AOBA/ARI Government & Industry MSF. On the other hand, we are Relationship committee, and has reviewed probably not using some of our best research proposals for Morris Animal males, those with the greatest luster Foundation for many years. They can be and lowest MSF. contacted at [email protected].

Summary A fan-shaped lock and narrow flat lock may be It would be premature to assign value under-appreciated for luster. to one lock type over another until a more thorough SEM study is made of REFERENCES suri alpaca fiber. Like many scientific 1. College Physics, 4th edition, Franklin Miller Jr., pg. 659 enquiries, this one has raised as many 2. Purely Suri magazine, volume 2, 2004, Suvia Judd and Deborah Berman, pg 18 questions as it has answered. The 3. “Is Merino Wool a Luxury Precious Fiber?,” Bruce McGregor, Australian Farm Journal, authors have scanned enough fiber July, 2003 samples to determine that suri alpaca 4. “Influence of Nutrition, Fiber Diameter, and Fiber Length on the Fiber Curvature of fiber is measurably different in scale Cashmere,” B.A. McGregor, The Australian Journal of Agricultural Research, 2003 length, frequency, edge height, and 5. J.E. Watts and Janie Hicks: The Soft Rolling Skin® (SRS)® Breeding System for Alpacas. edge angle from wool and huacaya 6. “SUPREME-Project: Cuticular Cell Mean Scale Frequency in Different Types of Domestic fiber. It is probably most similar to South American Camelids (SAC)”; M. Antonini, E. Frank, M. Gonzales, F. Pierdominici, cashmere and mohair but with an even S. Catalano, M.V.H. Hick, & F. Castrignano; European Symposium on SAC, University lower scale height. The “take home” di Camerino Press, Matelica (MC) Italy, pp. 142-152 (1996) lesson from this SEM study is that 7. IWTO DTM-XX-97: “Quantitative Analysis of Blend of Wool with Specialty Fibers by Scanning what is truly unique about suri alpaca Electron Microscopy,” International Wool Textile Organization (1997) fiber is its luster. This should be kept 8. “Characterization of Specialty Fibers by Scanning Electron Microscopy”; Phan K.H., foremost in mind in any future discus- Wortmann F.J., Wortmann G., and Arns W.; Shriftenz. Dtsch. ; Wollforxchungsinst; sion of possible breed standards, end- p. 106 (1988) use, or show standards. 9. Properties and Performance of Goat Fibre, JD Leeder, BA McGregor and RG Steadman (1998) ■ Suri and huacaya fleece can be differ- 10. Elite Natural Fibre, Grower Expectations & Processor Requirements, Peter J. Sporle, 1994 entiated by SEM 11. Alpaca: Large Scale Industrial Perspective on Fiber Processing, Juan Pepper, 2005

Spring 2006 ■ 171