| |
Coat-Length Genetics :: All about Breeds
by
Karen Leigh Davis
Tags
No tags are currently set for this article.
- Learn everything about Coat-Length Genetics
- Read more when you buy the entire The Everything Cat Book 2nd Edition
- You can Click Here to buy the full book today
Coat-Length GeneticsShorthaired cats are more common throughout the world than longhairs because of the genetics that control coat length. The gene that produces a short coat is dominant, while the gene for a long coat is always recessive.
When a dominant gene is present, it will mask or suppress the qualities of a recessive gene that may also be present. So there only has to be one dominant gene present for the trait to show, although the recessive gene can lie hidden unexpressed, waiting to surface in future litters. These basic genetic principles apply to any breed.
A cat that carries both the dominant and the recessive gene is capable of producing either short- or longhaired offspring, if paired with a mate carrying like genes. Such cats are said to be genetically heterozygous for that trait. Cats that have two recessive genes for long hair or two dominant genes for short hair are said to be homozygous for that trait.
The lovely longhaired Persians, for example, are homozygous. To have long hair, they must possess two recessive genes for the trait. When Persians are bred to other longhairs, they always produce longhaired offspring.
Exotic Shorthair litters, on the other hand, can have a longhair crop up from time to time. This is because the breed was initially created by a Persian and American Shorthair cross, resulting in a mix of dominant and recessive genes. Two Exotics can potentially produce a longhaired kitten if both are heterozygous, or carrying a recessive gene for the longhaired trait.
|