Wolf Color Mutations
In a DNA study of the agouti signal protein (ASIP) in coyotes, wolves, and dogs, we found that there was no difference between the wolf and dog, except for a few mutations that cause specific coat color patterns in the dog (fawn, black-and-tan, and recessive black). In the case of these wolves, coat color is determined by a gene called CPD103, which historically made their coats gray. However, a CPD103 mutation emerged in dogs and crossed over to wolves, producing a black coat.
Each wolf has two copies of CPD103, one inherited from each parent. The Genetics of Wolf Coloration Wolf color variations are the result of complex genetic processes. A black coat, for instance, is often caused by a mutation in the beta-defensin CBD103 gene, also known as the K locus.
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Interestingly, this mutation is thought to have originated in domestic dogs and was passed to wolves through interbreeding. In gray wolves, the K locus, a β-defensin gene, causes black coat color via a dominantly inherited KB allele. The allele is derived from dog.
In these species, the gene agouti controls the relative amount of red and yellow pigments in the skin, and melanocortin 1 receptor (Mc1r) does the same for black and brown. Mutations that make Mc1r more efficient lead to darker fur. But "we didn't find any [relevant mutations] at all" in the Yellowstone wolves, Barsh recalls.
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Mutations in the Melanocortin 1 receptor (Mc1r) gene contribute to pigmentary diversity in natural populations of fish, birds, and many mammals. However, melanism in the gray wolf, Canis lupus, is caused by a different melanocortin pathway component, the K locus, that encodes a beta. The Genetics Behind Wolf Coat Colors The gray coat color that most people associate with wolves is controlled by a gene called Agouti.
The Agouti gene codes for a protein that produces gray and tan bands on each hair shaft. This gives the wolf an overall gray appearance. However, mutations in the Agouti gene or other genes involved in pigment production can produce different coat patterns and.
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This dark coloration stems from a specific genetic mutation. White wolves are notable, with pure white coats being a defining characteristic of some populations. Beyond these, wolves can exhibit brown, red, tan, cream, buff, and even yellowish or golden tones.
Red is considered one of the rarest wolf coat colors. The Science Behind Wolf Color. The spread of this mutation through the wolf population is probably accelerated in the presence of dogs because dogs are reservoirs for diseases to which the mutation provides enhanced immunity.
Another gray colored wolf from the same spot in Minnesota. Share your comments and questions about wolf coat color variation. Coat color is determined by at least three different genes, each of which comes as a pair, and the gene can either be for gray or black coat color.
The black coat color gene is dominant, meaning that when paired with a gray coat color gene, the wolf will have a black outer coat rather than gray.
