Genetic Facts | Facts about Genetics

What colors do Labrador Retrievers come in?

The AKC recognizes only three Labrador Retriever colors: black, yellow, and chocolate. "Fox red" Labs are technically a dark shade of yellow, and "silver" Labs aren't accepted under the breed standard.

Why are Labrador Retrievers so obsessed with food?

Many Labrador Retrievers are genetically wired to be hungry. A 2016 University of Cambridge study found that about 23% of Labs carry a mutation in the POMC gene that disrupts their sense of fullness. That helps explain why Labs are famous for begging and prone to obesity.

What colors do German Shorthaired Pointers come in?

German Shorthaired Pointers come in solid liver (a deep brown) or liver and white, often with ticking or roan patterns that look like tiny speckles.

Why were extra toes common in early Maine Coons?

Polydactyly, having extra toes, was once very common in Maine Coons and may have worked like natural snowshoes for walking on snow. Many show standards now disqualify it, but some breeders keep polydactyl lines going.

What strange claims did the Ragdoll's founder make?

Ann Baker, the founder of the Ragdoll breed, made bizarre claims about her cats, including that Josephine's kittens were changed by genetic experiments and even alien genes. Other breeders eventually broke away from her to develop the breed more seriously.

Why are Ragdoll kittens born white?

Ragdoll kittens are born almost entirely white because their coat color depends on a temperature-sensitive enzyme. Their darker points develop gradually and may take two to three years to fully show.

What is an Exotic Longhair?

Because Exotics carry a recessive longhair gene from their Persian ancestors, two Exotic parents can produce a longhaired kitten that looks essentially identical to a Persian.

Are the Devon Rex and Cornish Rex related?

Even though the Devon Rex and Cornish Rex both have curly coats, their curls come from different genes. When breeders crossed the two, the kittens had straight hair.

What is a ticked coat?

Abyssinians have a "ticked" coat, which means each individual hair has several bands of color. That gives the coat a warm, glowing shimmer instead of stripes or spots.

Did the Abyssinian really come from Ethiopia?

Despite its name, genetic research suggests the Abyssinian's ancestors most likely came from coastal regions around the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia rather than Ethiopia.

Which cat breed was used for the first cat genome sequencing?

The first cat genome ever sequenced, published in 2007, came from an Abyssinian named Cinnamon, which made the breed an important part of feline genetics research.

What colors do Abyssinians come in?

The most classic Abyssinian color is called "ruddy," a warm reddish-brown, and the breed also comes in red, blue, and fawn.

What is a "British Blue"?

The blue-gray British Shorthair is so iconic that the breed was once commonly called the "British Blue," even though it comes in many other colors.

What is the American Shorthair's most famous coat pattern?

The silver tabby, with bold black swirls on a silver background, is the American Shorthair's most iconic look.

How many colors does the American Shorthair come in?

American Shorthairs come in more than 80 different colors and patterns.

What are rosettes on a Bengal cat?

Many Bengals have rosettes, two-toned spots with a darker outline like a leopard or jaguar, which is a big part of the breed's mini-wildcat look.

What does F1 mean for a Bengal cat?

Bengal generations are labeled F1, F2, and so on based on how far they are from a wild Asian leopard cat ancestor. Most pet Bengals are four or more generations removed, which is considered fully domestic.

Why do Siamese cats have dark points?

Siamese cats have darker ears, faces, paws, and tails because their coloring comes from a temperature-sensitive enzyme that produces darker pigment only on the cooler parts of their bodies.

Why did old Siamese cats often have crossed eyes and kinked tails?

Many early Siamese cats had crossed eyes and kinked tails, traits linked to their genetics. Breeders worked to remove them over time, though legends claimed they came from guarding temple treasures.

Which cat breeds descend from the Siamese?

The Siamese helped create many other breeds, including the Balinese, Oriental Shorthair, Himalayan, and Tonkinese.

Where did the Sphynx cat originate?

The Sphynx started in Toronto, Canada, in 1966, when a domestic cat gave birth to a hairless kitten named Prune due to a natural genetic mutation.

What gene causes the Sphynx's hairlessness?

The Sphynx's hairlessness comes from a mutation in the KRT71 gene, the same gene that causes the Devon Rex's curly coat, just a different version of it.

What causes a Scottish Fold's folded ears?

A Scottish Fold's folded ears come from a gene mutation that affects cartilage throughout the body, which can lead to painful joint and bone problems called osteochondrodysplasia.

What is a Scottish Straight?

Scottish Fold kittens whose ears never fold are called Scottish Straights, and they're used in breeding programs to avoid fold-to-fold matings.

When were horses first domesticated?

A 2021 genetic study found that modern domestic horses trace back to the steppes of southern Russia about 4,200 years ago and then spread rapidly across Asia and Europe.