microrobert
05-28-2013, 04:22 PM
How the white tiger got his coat
The rare pigmentation of these majestic cats results from a gene variant.
http://images.mnn.com/sites/default/files/WhiteTigers.jpg
The strikingly beautiful, milky coats of white tigers (http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/gadgets-electronics/photos/eco-photos-of-the-week-april-18-24/hungry-white-tiger-cubs) are caused by a single change in a known pigment gene, a new study finds.
Since their discovery in the Indian jungle centuries ago, white tigers, a variant of Bengal tigers (http://www.livescience.com/27441-tigers.html) (Panthera tigris tigris), have had a certain mystique. Captive white tigers have been inbred to preserve the recessive white coat trait, leading some to speculate the trait is a genetic defect. But the genetic basis of tiger whiteness was not known. (A recessive trait will only show up if the individual gets two genes for that trait, one each from mom and dad.)
White tigers have now disappeared from the wild. "The white tiger represents part of the natural genetic diversity of the tiger that is worth conserving, but is now seen only in captivity," study author Shu-Jin Luo of China's Peking University said in a statement.
How the white tiger got his coat | MNN - Mother Nature Network (http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/how-the-white-tiger-got-his-coat)
The rare pigmentation of these majestic cats results from a gene variant.
http://images.mnn.com/sites/default/files/WhiteTigers.jpg
The strikingly beautiful, milky coats of white tigers (http://www.mnn.com/green-tech/gadgets-electronics/photos/eco-photos-of-the-week-april-18-24/hungry-white-tiger-cubs) are caused by a single change in a known pigment gene, a new study finds.
Since their discovery in the Indian jungle centuries ago, white tigers, a variant of Bengal tigers (http://www.livescience.com/27441-tigers.html) (Panthera tigris tigris), have had a certain mystique. Captive white tigers have been inbred to preserve the recessive white coat trait, leading some to speculate the trait is a genetic defect. But the genetic basis of tiger whiteness was not known. (A recessive trait will only show up if the individual gets two genes for that trait, one each from mom and dad.)
White tigers have now disappeared from the wild. "The white tiger represents part of the natural genetic diversity of the tiger that is worth conserving, but is now seen only in captivity," study author Shu-Jin Luo of China's Peking University said in a statement.
How the white tiger got his coat | MNN - Mother Nature Network (http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/how-the-white-tiger-got-his-coat)