Cat Morphs

If cats really do have morphs... what are they? Single gene or polygenetic traits?

Oh, and feel free to share your 'examples.' :D

From what I have been told, Sphinx (hairless) and American Curl (the ears) are single gene traits. Which my cat has both :) I however have never researched it. All I know is this cat is a a non-stop cuddler.

http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/...psrt8lmhi5.jpg

OMG GIVE ME THE ANIMAL AND NOBODY GETS HURT!!!!


That little guy is so cute...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mephibosheth1

OMG GIVE ME THE ANIMAL AND NOBODY GETS HURT!!!!


That little guy is so cute...

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trust me, there days where I would say just take him. He can be just as annoying and get into anything a normal cat can lol.

Actually, if I can recall correctly, the tabby coat is a single gene trait that creates lines in swirls in the coat. This can create an extreme appearance change in some breeds like Bengals, where normals have rosettes and tabbies have those big blobs, clouds, and stripes in their markings. I remember seeing a pic of two somewhere that had a pattern on their back that looked just like a super tiger retic...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pythonminion

Actually, if I can recall correctly, the tabby coat is a single gene trait that creates lines in swirls in the coat. This can create an extreme appearance change in some breeds like Bengals, where normals have rosettes and tabbies have those big blobs, clouds, and stripes in their markings. I remember seeing a pic of two somewhere that had a pattern on their back that looked just like a super tiger retic...

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Every cat has a rosette... :p. Some cleaner than others.

Yes. Besides all the colors, there are folded ears, curled ears, at least 3 rex types and sphinx, short legs, different tail lengths/missing tails, etc. These are all single gene traits.

Depends on the trait. Some are simple single genes, and some are polygenic. I think most color genes are single genes (which of course can be combined). Also, the black/orange coloration is sex-linked on the x-chromosome. So where O is orange and o is black, an orange male cat is O/Y, black male cat is o/Y, orange female cat is O/O, black female cat is o/o, and a female heterozygote for that trait (O/o) is tortoiseshell (or calico if you add white markings to the mix). That's why the ratio of orange or black male cats is greater than for female cats, you have a 1/2 chance of a black or orange male, compared to a 1/4 chance of a black or orange female.

I have a cat with three thumbs on each front foot and yes he does use them like thumbs LOL

I think black is co-dominant and the super form is blue. Not completely sure on this though.

Edit: nope I was wrong. Black is dominant and blue is a dominant dillution of it.

Oh, man, I love genetics!

Here is a list of cat genes, their codes and and their inheritance:

Eumelanin mutations: (changes in the concentration and dispersal of eumelanin)
Black: B- Dominant
Brown (Chocolate): bb Recessive to Black, dominant to Light Brown
Light Brown (Cinnamon): b^lb^l Recessive to both Black and Light Brown

Phaelomelanin mutations: (changes int eh concentration and dispersal of phaelomelanin)
Orange: O(O) Sex-Linked Dominant. This decreates eumelanin, and increases phaelomelanin, making the cat look reddish or orange. Females need two copies to be orange, males only need (and can only have) one. Exception: Black female cats carrying the Orange gene will express both Black and Orange colours- making both Tortoiseshells (no White Spotting) and Calicos (with White Spotting). Generally speaking, male cats cannot be calicos (unless they are genetic chimeras, or have an extra chromosome). As far as i know, the rare male calico is infertile (XXY; I suppose genetic chimeras could be fertile, but would probably only produce black or orange genes, not both).

Dilutions:
Dilute dd Recessive (combined with black = blue, combined with brown = lilac, combined with Light Brown = fawn, combined with Orange = cream)

Albinism :
Dominant White: W- Dominant. Also produces a white cat with blue eyes, and are also often deaf.

Albinism: c^ac^a Recessive. Homozygous albinos always have blue eyes, and new research shows that they are not associated with deafness unless paired with a gene that is. Blue eyes are much paler than those of the Dominant Whites.

Albinism: cc Recessive. Produces white cats with pink eyes. Not associated with deafness unless paired with a gene that is.

Sepia: c^bc^bRecessive

Pointed: c^sc^sRecessive

* Sepia and Pointed genes are recessive, but co-dominant with each other. c^bc^b = Burmese or Sepia, c^sc^s = Siamese or Pointed, and c^bc^s = Toninkese or Mink. These patterns are a form of partial albinism; a mutation in tyrosinaese. Heat-sensitive pattern; the coolest parts of the cat's body will be the darkest in colour)

Ticking and Tabbies:
Agouti: A- Dominant. Creates bands of various colours on individual hairs.

non-Agouti: aa Recessive. This produces solid colour cats.

Ticked Tabby: T^a- Dominant. Ticked or agouti hairs are evenly spread throughout the coat.

Mackerel Tabby: T- Dominant to Classic, Recessive to Ticked. Ticked hair alternated with solid hair to make stripes. Most common tabby colour

Classic Tabby: tbtb Recessive to Ticked and Mackerel, dominant to non-Agouti. Ticked hair and solid hair alternate in a swirling, whorled pattern

Shading:
Chinchilla: Ch-? I? Appears to act generally Dominant. Research is ongoing- suspected polygenetic trait.

Patterns:
White Spotting: S- Dominant. Somewhat co-dominant; SS cats tend to have larger white areas than Ss cats. Associated with partial or complete deafness, especially when the white area overlaps an eye or ear. Also can cause heterochromia (eyes of different colours). Actually a "masking" gene; even entirely white White Spotted cats sill have their Tabby (or whatever) genes "hidden" by the white.

And that's as much as I know. Those genes will pretty much create any paint job you could ask for in a cat. There are also a few non-genetic feline phenotypes, but I won't get into that! :D