Produce a lower type of offspring (5)

I believe the answer is:

calve

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'produce' is the definition.
(I know that bear is a is a more specific form of the action of calve)

I don't understand the rest of the clue.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for calve that I've seen before include "little lower?" , "Give birth to a young bovine" , "Release baby animal" , "Bear on farm" , "Give birth (eg to elephant)" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.

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