Alleles are not well understood among ball python breeders yet. If a cross line leucistic bred to a normal ever did produce a leucistic we would need a new theory. But I don't expect that to happen. The theory that fits all the breedings I've heard about so far is that lesser and Mojave are two different versions of the same gene (alleles) so each baby would only get one or the other version from the leucistic parent. When Morph King bred them to lots of normals I heard they only got the two grandparent types and no leucistics and no normals which is consistent with the allele theory.
However, there is currently on kingsnake a paradox ivory that shouldn't be. It's from ivory X normal. One theory on paradox is that it's two siblings that merge into one (a chimera). Under that theory the paradox shouldn't show a type that couldn't be in the clutch. An ivory X normal should not be able to produce an ivory. So something gives. My bet is it has something to do with the paradox. Someone (maybe here) pointed out some different types of chimeras and some might include two sperm. Maybe some how two yellow belly sperm fertilized the same egg and somehow made some parts that are ivory like. Or maybe ivorys can be made by combos of different related genes and not just alleles of a single yellow belly gene.
Alleles are not well understood among ball python breeders yet. If a cross line leucistic bred to a normal ever did produce a leucistic we would need a new theory. But I don't expect that to happen. The theory that fits all the breedings I've heard about so far is that lesser and Mojave are two different versions of the same gene (alleles) so each baby would only get one or the other version from the leucistic parent. When Morph King bred them to lots of normals I heard they only got the two grandparent types and no leucistics and no normals which is consistent with the allele theory.
However, there is currently on kingsnake a paradox ivory that shouldn't be. It's from ivory X normal. One theory on paradox is that it's two siblings that merge into one (a chimera). Under that theory the paradox shouldn't show a type that couldn't be in the clutch. An ivory X normal should not be able to produce an ivory. So something gives. My bet is it has something to do with the paradox. Someone (maybe here) pointed out some different types of chimeras and some might include two sperm. Maybe some how two yellow belly sperm fertilized the same egg and somehow made some parts that are ivory like. Or maybe ivorys can be made by combos of different related genes and not just alleles of a single yellow belly gene.
I don't understand your meaning of the word 'chimera'. I've always known a chimera to be a mixture of 2 or more species of different animals.
Interesting. I guess there are things about genetics that we don't know yet though. :]
Apparently there are a lot of different type. Mixed species might be the original mythological kind but what might be happening in ball pythons would be more like reverse twinning. Instead of one fertilized egg splitting into two genetically identical twins, two fertilized eggs merge into one baby. But this paradox ivory may be one of the other scenarios mentioned where two sperm fertilize one egg but interesting that the male's genetic material could overlap to create ivory if that is the case.
Apparently there are a lot of different type. Mixed species might be the original mythological kind but what might be happening in ball pythons would be more like reverse twinning. Instead of one fertilized egg splitting into two genetically identical twins, two fertilized eggs merge into one baby. But this paradox ivory may be one of the other scenarios mentioned where two sperm fertilize one egg but interesting that the male's genetic material could overlap to create ivory if that is the case.
Ahh Its crazy stuff!
I don't think species are meant to be mixed like that poor goat-sheep.. especially if it's painful for them to even be born. :[
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Originally Posted by wilomn
