ECONOMIC SUCCESS IN A DAIRY OPERATION DEPENDS IN LARGE PART ON THE REPRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY OF THE HERD. IN DAIRY CATTLE, UP TO 50% OF PREGNANCY LOSSES OCCUR IN THE FIRST 5-7 DAYS AFTER INSEMINATION, COINCIDING WITH EARLY EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES. THE LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO IMPROVE DAIRY CATTLE REPRODUCTION. SPECIFICALLY, THIS PROJECT WILL ADDRESS IF GENETIC MERIT FOR FERTILITY IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE QUALITY OF THE OOCYTE AND EMBRYO AND IF BY SELECTING FEMALES FOR THEIR GENETICS OF FERTILITY, PRODUCTION OF EMBRYOS AND SUBSEQUENTLY FERTILITY IN CATTLE CAN BE IMPROVED. BY DISSECTING THE PROCESSES REQUIRED TO PRODUCE A VIABLE EMBRYO, CRITICAL INFORMATION WILL BE AVAILABLE TO IMPROVE SELECTION FOR FERTILITY AND REDUCE EMBRYONIC MORTALITY. RESULTS FROM THIS WORK WILL BE USED AS A BASELINE TO IDENTIFY GENES ASSOCIATED WITH EARLY EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT, IMPROVE SELECTION FOR REPRODUCTION AND THE OVERALL REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF THE HERD.