Researchers identified an unusual genetic mutation in orange domestic cats that has not been found in any other animal, according to a new study.

Males, with only one X chromosome, usually have fur that’s all one color, orange or black, based on the gene they get from their mother. Since the MC1R is not on the X chromosome in cats , it ...

In orange patches of fur, the active chromosome (red) contains a deletion mutation in ARHGAP36, which increases its expression and reduces the activity of melanogenesis genes.

Tigers are known for their striking orange fur lined with dark stripes. Orange has always seemed like a bold color ... Most humans have three types of cones for red, green, and blue.

Cahn said that, for each gene, a cat inherits one copy, called an allele, from each parent. This determines how a particular ...

Kaelin and colleagues analyzed DNA from about 30 cats to find variations shared exclusively by those with orange fur. That revealed a deletion near a gene called Arhgap36.

He and his research team analyzed DNA in skin tissue from cats with and without orange fur, and found a mutation to the ARHGAP36 gene. This was a type of deletion mutation, meaning that a segment ...

Orange cats may be known for their silly behavior, but two new studies are a step closer to understanding "the why" behind the furry felines' coloring. Two independent studies published on May 15 ...

Calico cats have X chromosomes that have two variants of the gene ARHGAP36. In orange patches of fur, the active chromosome (red) contains a deletion mutation in ARHGAP36, which increases its ...

Discover the scientific breakthrough behind the signature orange fur in cats. Learn about the genetic factors that make the majority of orange cats male versus the calico and tortoiseshell varieties.

In orange patches of fur, the active chromosome (red) contains a deletion mutation in ARHGAP36, which increases its expression and reduces the activity of melanogenesis genes.

Typically, mutations that lead to yellow or orange fur in animals (and red hair in humans) occur within genes that control for color. And those genes aren’t carried on the X chromosome.