bew to silver

[Crow 1]

Indesputable facts:

 

> The albino gene is recessive

 

> The polecat gene is dominant

 

So you'll never get an albino with a 'hidden' polecat gene - if it had that it would be polecat coloured.

 

More facts:

 

> An albino mated to an albino will only produce albino kits

 

> An albino mated to a polecat may throw albino kits if the polecat is carrying an albino gene, if it's not then you'll only get polecat kits (each carrying the albino gene).

 

If you've genuinely bred two albinos together (in a controlled environment, not in a court where you 'think' that the two albinos mated) and you've produced a polecat kit then get in touch with someone high up in genetics (not just ferret, any geneticist) because you have either witnessed a miracle, or you've managed to do something that flies in the face of all previous genetic study and belief.

 

> Genes don't get 'watered' down, they stay as they are but can (in the case of the albino gene) remain hidden for generations.

 

Crow

Edited June 10, 2009 by Crow

[Crow 1]

ade33uk - you got it spot on so no need to stand corrected!

 

Crow

Edited June 10, 2009 by Crow

[Tiny 7 1,694]

So what would be the colour of the kit's if you bred two sandys then,

Would you get a mixture of both dark's and lights?

T 7

[Tiny 7 1,694]

Doubled posted....

Edited June 10, 2009 by tiny 7

[droid 11]

Indesputable facts:

 

Not all genes follow simple Mendelian monohybrid cross princlples.

 

Ferret genetics is rather more complicated than the simple precis outlined above.

 

No scientist with even a passing interest in genetics would make statements based on previous study or belief as if they were set in stone.

Mendelian genetics is a Theory, not a Law.

That speaks volumes to a scientist.

[jazz_11 5]

believe it or not my jill was a lightish polecat but not silver and the hob was a black polecat and they had 3 white kits between them.. :S

[jultaylor1972 2]

Indesputable facts:

 

> The albino gene is recessive

 

> The polecat gene is dominant

 

So you'll never get an albino with a 'hidden' polecat gene - if it had that it would be polecat coloured.

 

More facts:

 

> An albino mated to an albino will only produce albino kits

 

> An albino mated to a polecat may throw albino kits if the polecat is carrying an albino gene, if it's not then you'll only get polecat kits (each carrying the albino gene).

 

If you've genuinely bred two albinos together (in a controlled environment, not in a court where you 'think' that the two albinos mated) and you've produced a polecat kit then get in touch with someone high up in genetics (not just ferret, any geneticist) because you have either witnessed a miracle, or you've managed to do something that flies in the face of all previous genetic study and belief.

 

> Genes don't get 'watered' down, they stay as they are but can (in the case of the albino gene) remain hidden for generations.

 

Crow

 

 

Knew I'd seen that info somewhere else Good post there!

[Crow 1]

Indesputable facts:

 

Not all genes follow simple Mendelian monohybrid cross princlples.

 

Ferret genetics is rather more complicated than the simple precis outlined above.

 

No scientist with even a passing interest in genetics would make statements based on previous study or belief as if they were set in stone.

Mendelian genetics is a Theory, not a Law.

That speaks volumes to a scientist.

 

Who was talking about mendelian monohybrid principles? I was talking about the dominance or reccessiveness of the certain genes (actually, gene is the wrong word but to use the right word would be even more confusing!) not how you can calculate which percentage of what is given.

 

Yes, ferret genetics is more complex than what I stated above, but what I stated above is what is commonly believed (and proven many times over) by scientists today, who have, as yet, found no evidence to counter those beliefs. Until they do we have to assume that they could actually be right!

 

If they weren't right everyone would be breeding polecat kits off albino parents (true matings, not 'I think so' matings as all those I have followed up seem to be!).

 

And remember that genetic study isn't just restricted to the ferret, its to mammals in general and I have yet to find any research that states the albino gene (wrong word again but nevermind) is dominant in any mammal. If it were then we'd have a species out there that is predominatly albino (and I mean albino, not white, and when I say 'out there' I mean in the wild, not bred in a controlled environment where the carefull crossing of albinos has created a vast number of albinos - i.e the ferret, rat, etc).

 

I can't think of one such mammal - can you?

 

Crow

[droid 11]

MickeyB above, talks of an albinoxalbino mating that produced polecat phenotypes........

 

And go on, tell me the 'too complicated' right word. You never know, it might just wake up a sleeping part of my brain.

 

And I don't have to 'assume' anything. Science, and especially genetics, has moved on since a monk did things with sweet peas and fiddled the results Science isn't based on 'belief', it's based on verifiable fact. The interpretation of those facts can and does change as more evidence becomes available.

 

One thing I've found in 30odd years of involvement in science is that it pays to be sceptical.

 

And I never stated that the albino gene was dominant. So asking for an example 'in the wild' of a dominant albino gene is irrellevent. As is talking about wild species under competitive pressure when we're discussing a ssp that's been domesticated for 3000 years.

[Guest MickyB]

Edited June 11, 2009 by MickyB

[StephOC 6]

I am a scientist and work with genetics (bumblebee genetics mostly).

 

If enough people on here knew the breeding and colouring of their kits, and ideally their parents and grand parents, we may well be able to work this out, if its really not been done before.

[Funfuret 1]

I am a scientist and work with genetics (bumblebee genetics mostly).

 

If enough people on here knew the breeding and colouring of their kits, and ideally their parents and grand parents, we may well be able to work this out, if its really not been done before.

 

 

Ace idea.

 

Could be the biggest study yet on colour and genetics and provide invaluable information.

 

Best to do it prospectively (on kits born this season onwards) , rather than retrospectively though because things get a bit hazy with time and people are more likely to be able to give accurate information on kits born this season.

[angoraferret 0]

I am a scientist and work with genetics (bumblebee genetics mostly).

 

If enough people on here knew the breeding and colouring of their kits, and ideally their parents and grand parents, we may well be able to work this out, if its really not been done before.

 

 

Ace idea.

 

Could be the biggest study yet on colour and genetics and provide invaluable information.

 

Best to do it prospectively (on kits born this season onwards) , rather than retrospectively though because things get a bit hazy with time and people are more likely to be able to give accurate information on kits born this season.

 

 

I always document what colour my litters are and lineage, any info you might need to compile a study would be gladly given.

 

My angoras come with huge pedigrees already.

[Crow 1]

Droid, thanks for your response.

 

Before I get my teeth into a full reply can you clarify the following:

 

I know you never stated 'I think the albino gene is dominant', but from what you have said it has come across that you don't believe the albino gene is recessive; vis-à-vis 'I've had big arguments with people who believe the albino gene is recessive'. If you haven't argued the fact that the albino gene is recessive what have you argued about

 

Crow

[droid 11]

What I think is happenning is this: that after 3000 years of domestication and selective breeding for albinos, the albino gene has changed in its' relative dominance (or lack of it) vs the polecat colour gene. I don't believe that 'dominance' or 'recessiveness' in genes is neccessarily fixed.

 

IF MickyB's crosses are genuine, and he knows conclusively that his cross was albinoxalbino, then that would support this hypothesis.

 

Mind, it may well be more complex than that. The opossibility of 'dilution' genes has been mooted before (not by me though) so it's probably an interaction between several genes regarding the colour a ferret has. I've read this mentiones with regard to sandies.