Question: Why is the genetic code for Wild Type written with all the known Ringneck Dove mutant genetic symbols?

This question is often asked and John Fowler & Dr Wilmer Miller have supplied the answer to it.

The genotype of the wild type is: D⁺//_ Al⁺//_ Iv⁺//_ Pi⁺//_ Ry⁺//_ Fr⁺//Fr⁺ Ta⁺//Ta⁺ M⁺//M⁺

Each symbol represents a particular gene locus.  You will notice
the "+" in each symbol.  The "+" denotes wild type.  So the recessive
loci are written as Al+//__  This would indicate that the bird is
wild type (or normal) at the albino locus on one chromosome (remember
the autosomal chromosomes come in pairs) and on the other chromosome
the /___ indicates that the bird could be wild type (or normal -- in
which case it would be written Al+//Al+ (or just +//+)  OR if the
bird carries albino hidden it would be written Al+//al (or just
+//al).  This will hold true for all the recessive autosomal genes.

Frosty, tangerine and the modifier are all autosomal codominant
genes.  You will notice in the written genotype above that each
codominant gene is written with a "+".  The plus would indicate that
the  mutant gene is absent at that locus and there is no expression of the
mutant gene. The "+"does indicate a "normal" or "wild type" gene is present at that locus.
Should the bird be a frosty rather than a wild type the genotype would be written as Fr//+.

So the presence of the "+" at each locus indicates that the bird
represented by the above genotype carries no hidden genes and is pure
wild type.

Why isn't the symbols for Blond & White listed in the above genotype for Wild Type?

The mutants blond and white are sex-linked.  The dark wild type
         alternative at that locus is also.  (But remember dark or normal alleles
occur at all color loci).  So dark, blond and white are listed in decreasing order
of dominance.  Dark is dominant to blond and white, and blond is dominant to white. 

Use your browser's back icon to return to the previous page.