Q&A
Dove Genetics
- The word cinnamon is used in genetics
of mice and some other species for the "dilution" or
other type change of black (eumelanin) to a brown pigment not
affecting the phaeomelanin (yellow).
- If you are referring to actually "cloning"
the pigeon this cannot be done. In order for any organism to
be cloned the DNA must be fresh-containing a good nucleus. When
organisms die, unless they are well preserved (freezing)
the nucleus degrades and there is no way to clone the bird. [Mandin]
- Not yet feasible. You can start with
$20,000,000....Museum specimens don't have entire DNA genomes
viable--
just pieces. So you have to isolate hundreds or even thousands
of sequence sections from different sources on the same or different
specimens. Then put them together correctly...., then inject
"fresh" eggs whose germ has been removed, keeping all
of these otherwise sterile.. ...then hatch ...etc. ...[wjm]
- In Diamond Doves, as best we understand
White Rump and White Tail right now, it involves the same gene.
The expression of this gene is in the result of either White
Rump or White Tail. We are trying to understand why it is expressed
as White Rump sometimes and White Tail sometimes. One theory
is that the factor shows up sometimes on only one chromosome,
still showing a dominance to Wild type but expressing to a lesser
degree = WR. If this is the case, mating 2 WRs some of the offspring
could still end up with single factors, or single chromosome,
showing to the lesser degree or WR, but some offspring could
end up getting factors from both parents, both chromosomes having
the WT factor or a double factor, expressing stronger than the
single factors and getting to whiter rumps and tails and I believe
also showing in the Laced effect or Big Spots. I still feel the
larger dots are part of double factor WT expression and not an
independant gene. I also see some differences in
the extent of expression of WT or WR among the different varieties
of Diamond Doves. It seems easier to get whiter rumps and tails
from SilverWTs and Brilliant WTs than say from BlueWTs or Yellow
WTs. So the way the other colors are effected in the different
mutations may also effect how and to what extent the WT or WR
factor is expressed. Anyhow, all I really know is that it is
very difficult to get birds that are true to the strict standard
of White Tail and even harder to get them to produce like birds
on a consistant basis. [Jeff]
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