I lean towards the multiple enhancer/modifier genes position. Back in the 1920s, a guy named Castle took rats from the same hooded strain and selected for both more and less pigment. The originals had pigment on the head and shoulders and the center of the back. He wound up with one strain with pigment over most of the body and a second strain with only pigment on the head. Crossing the two strains produced rats like the originals.



We talk about "the" normal gene. We have to remember that humans have from 20-25 thousand genes, and ball pythons can't be more than a few thousand behind that. There are dozens of genes involved in producing the normal color, and some can have mutants with quite subtle effects, so subtle that can't be quantified at our present level of detection. We just call them individual differences.



Paul Hollander

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• Opinions on life... - bpconnection, Wed Feb 1 19:48:08 2006
• Opinions on the inheritance of "Pastel" - amarilrose, Wed Feb 1 21:01:05 2006
• more in general if not specifically in this case - wftright, Wed Feb 1 22:28:59 2006
• RE: more in general if not specifically in this case - davester, Wed Feb 1 22:41:14 2006
• RE: more in general if not specifically in this case - bpconnection, Wed Feb 1 22:55:05 2006
• RE: more in general if not specifically in this case - RandyRemington, Thu Feb 2 03:05:55 2006
• RE: more in general if not specifically in this case - EmberBall, Thu Feb 2 11:58:27 2006
• RE: more in general if not specifically in this case - RandyRemington, Thu Feb 2 23:57:20 2006
• RE: more in general if not specifically in this case - Paul Hollander, Fri Feb 3 13:22:20 2006
• RE: more in general if not specifically in this case - RandyRemington, Sat Feb 4 08:04:26 2006
• What I've noticed... - CherylBald, Fri Feb 3 09:24:54 2006
• RE: What I've noticed... - RandyRemington, Sat Feb 4 08:28:05 2006
• Randy... - CherylBald, Sat Feb 4 14:22:44 2006
• here's an option nobody else stated.... - joshhutto, Thu Feb 2 14:00:34 2006
• RE: here's an option nobody else stated.... - morphed, Fri Feb 3 10:13:14 2006