Recessive/Dominant?

My husband and I were just wondering last night:

Are the genes for tiger-striping recessive or dominant? What
about calico coloring?

I'm not a breeder, so my vocabulary may be way off. Please
be kind ...

Carol

I believe that tabby is dominate over everything but solid black or solid white (correct me if I'm wrong).


Calico is neither. DILUTE calico (blue/cream) is recessive as blue and cream colors are recessive to the black/red. Calico is produced by having 2 color genes - one for black; one for red. Hence most calicos are females (the ocassional male has an XXY makeup).

The sex genes of X and Y are involved. Color gene is carried on the X chromosone. Since the female is XX and male is XY, the females can get color from both mother AND father. The males get their colors only from their mother.

Tabby is NOT a color gene - its separate.

Yes I believe your right about the tiger tabby being a dominate gene. However, sold black (non-agouti) is recessive.

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

I believe that tabby is dominate over everything but solid black or solid white (correct me if I'm wrong).


Calico is neither. DILUTE calico (blue/cream) is recessive as blue and cream colors are recessive to the black/red. Calico is produced by having 2 color genes - one for black; one for red. Hence most calicos are females (the ocassional male has an XXY makeup).

The sex genes of X and Y are involved. Color gene is carried on the X chromosone. Since the female is XX and male is XY, the females can get color from both mother AND father. The males get their colors only from their mother.

Tabby is NOT a color gene - its separate.

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Every cat in the world has some sort of tabby striping - the question is whether or not you can see it. As bengalbabe said, one can only see a cat's stripes if it is agouti (in a non-orange cat), and if it is non-agouti, which is a completely recessive state, the cat is solid colored. There are three basic forms of tabby - Abyssinian, mackerel, and classic or blotched. Abyssinian is sort of stripey along the backbone, and if it also carries the gene copy of mackerel tabby, there may be stripes along the tail and face. The mackerel tabby gene copy is recessive to Abyssinian but dominant to classic, and gives the classic fishbone or tiger striping to a cat. Classic or blotched is recessive to the other two forms and results in whirls and swirls of colors intead of stripes. Hope that was informative!

Originally Posted by Sandtigress

Every cat in the world has some sort of tabby striping - the question is whether or not you can see it. As bengalbabe said, one can only see a cat's stripes if it is agouti (in a non-orange cat), and if it is non-agouti, which is a completely recessive state, the cat is solid colored. There are three basic forms of tabby - Abyssinian, mackerel, and classic or blotched. Abyssinian is sort of stripey along the backbone, and if it also carries the gene copy of mackerel tabby, there may be stripes along the tail and face. The mackerel tabby gene copy is recessive to Abyssinian but dominant to classic, and gives the classic fishbone or tiger striping to a cat. Classic or blotched is recessive to the other two forms and results in whirls and swirls of colors intead of stripes. Hope that was informative!

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Informative...
but you forgot the spotted patten, I think it is the most domianant gene of them all. I know it's dominant to classic (called marble in bengal breed).
Supossedly the look that's closest to the wild state is the most dominant.

Originally Posted by Sandtigress

Hope that was informative!

Click to expand...

You have all been quite informative ... and if I weren't so
ignorant, I would probably recognize how helpful, as well!

Ok. So now I'm a little confused (good sign ... I'm learning!)
I thought "calico" meant "tri-colored" -- either patchy
or tortoise shell. Now, as I read what you'e all had to say, I'm
not so sure I understand my own question.

So, what, exactly, is calico?

What is prompting these questions, beyond mere curiosity, is
looking at our two female cats, who are litter mates. The mother
was a "calico" I'm told -- father(s) unknown. The offspring
are both grey/white tabbies. Both have a fair amount of peach
underlying both their white and grey colors, but one is definitely
"peachier" than the other. I call one aluminum (bluer) to the
other's copper (redder.)

My husband and I were wondering what genes from which parent
would lead to such coloring, and why neither is "calico."

Thanks, by the way. I find this fascinating!

Carol

It sounds like your girls are dilute patch tabbies. If Mom was a calico, then Dad was most likely a gray or buff tabby.

Sounds like one is more of a bluecream tabby. The father had to be some sort of tabby for the striping to show well.

A calico is basically a white cat with patches of red (orang) and black - kinda spotted.

A tortoiseshell is a blending of the red/black together - not defined patches of color.

A tortie and white is a tortoiseshell with white - like on face, chest, paws.

Now if any of the above has the dilute gene (which is recessive) you would substitute "blue" (grey) for the black and "cream" for the red.

Thanks, all. Between this thread and other related threads that
sprang up after me, I'm beginning to get it. I'm not fluent, yet,
but I have a glimmer of understanding.

I like this place!

Carol