Posted by:
boaphile
at Sat Oct 13 20:24:02 2007 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by boaphile ]
The source of the confusion is this:
Hypos are never ever "Co-Dominant" as there is not a clear definable guaranteed identifiable "Super" version. I think your list would be more accurate like this:
a single allele hypo is "Hh"
a double allele or Super hypo is "HH"
a normal (non-hypo) is "hh"
I complained about this to many folks over and over to no avail. Unfortunately, somebody popularized a perfectly understood scientific genetic term to mean something it never meant. That term was "dominant". When referring to the genetic definition of a dominant genetic trait it is this in my simple layman's language.
A "dominant" genetic trait is a visual mutation that is indistinguishable in it's single allele (Hh) or double allele (HH) state. The "Hypomelanistic" trait, is in Boa Constrictors, a "Dominant" mutation. "Dominant" does not now, did not yesterday and will not tomorrow, mean a double allele (HH) or "Super" Hypo. "Non-Dominant" does not now, did not yesterday and will not tomorrow, mean a single allele (Hh) or "Non-Super" Hypo. The use and or modification of the term "Dominant" is the problem. I do not know who started this misinformation, but it has confused many for many years and will continue to do so because the term "dominant" will continue to be incorrectly applied. I personally used the terms "Double Dose Hypo" (double allele or Super hypo or HH) and "Single Dose Hypo" (single allele hypo or Hh) because I thought those were much easier to keep straight in my own head.
For comparison, the Motley Boa is a "Co-Dominant" mutation or actually probably more accurately an "Incomplete Dominant" mutation. The single allele (Mm) version is the Motley Boa we have all come to know and love. The double allele (MM) is the Super Motley. The "Super" Motley does not become a "Dominant" Motley does it. This is a perfect example of using the wrong genetic term. The Motley mutation is a "Co-Dominant" mutation or really more accurately an "Incomplete Dominant" mutation. See why the misapplication of the term "dominant" has been the source of so much confusion? It drives me personally nuts. Not that I needed any help with that.
It's unfortunate these genetic terms continue to be misapplied. Any particular non-simple recessive mutation, as we know them now, are never both "Dominant" and "Co-Dominant" at the same time. Those two contradictory terms cannot be both used to describe any condition in respect to a single mutation. I hope this post does not come across like I am shaking my finger at anyone. I am not. I just wish this confusion had never started.
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The source of the confusion is this: - boaphile, Sat Oct 13 20:24:02 2007
