Quote Originally Posted by muddoc View Post
If when breeding 2 differnet lines of a gene (Pastel for this example) and the outcome is the homozygous form of the traitSuper Pastel for this example), then that makes them compatible, but it also means that they are the same gene. If they were not the same gene, then you would get a cross of the 2 genes from that breeding. The different lines just mean that diferent people imported animals from Africa, and proved their specific animal to be genetically reproducable. However, once they prove that they are compatible, then they have proven that they are the same thing.
Hmm...this reminds me of a part in NERD's ball python book. He says that many ball python "lords" (his term, not mine) in Africa will find something weird, start breeding it on their own and then sell the offspring to americans as "Oh, I just found this running around in the wild. You will be the first and only to have it". I wonder if this was the case with the pastels?

He also says that because of this process there are probably morphs in the possession of these ball python lords that we have never even heard of.

JonV