Unfamiliar with flaxen
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Here is the pedigree research
Here is the pedigree research on Flaxen and Chestnut(AKA Non-flaxen) in Morgans.
http://www.thesokolows.com/colorresearc…
The strange pattern they found from a family of red-based Morgans was that Flaxen + Flaxen = Flaxen foals 100% of the time. BUT Chestnut + Chestnut = Chestnut foals 100% of the time. If Flaxen was recessive 2 chestnut parents could carry the trait and have flaxen offspring at most 25% of the time, but this never happens.
Flaxen + Chestnut = both Flaxen and Chestnut offspring. So it appears that a Flaxen parent must be present to have a Flaxen foal. At the same time a Chestnut parent must be present to have a Chestnut foal. The lines for both flaxen and chestnut never break or skip generations in the red based families. This being said the Flaxen and Non-Flaxen traits can be hidden on black and bay based horses.
This inheritance doesn't follow Mendelian genetics and it is assumed polygenic. The funny thing is that you can predict Flaxen inheritance with this information despite the mode of inheritance being unknown.
So am I understanding
So am I understanding correctly that either her sire or dam MUST be a carrier of flaxen in order for her to have it? You said it's often hidden on black or bay-based horses--this filly's sire is a buckskin (from two buckskins) and her dam is a black-based grey from a buckskin sire and gray (unknown base) dam. Is there a way to know which one carries it?
Thanks for the info!! :)
As well as the difficulty in
As well as the difficulty in determining if something is "flaxen" enough, I have seen numerous examples of horses who "lost" flaxen as they aged. In our gallery, the stallion Rushan is a great example. I've often wondered if there wasn't an incomplete dominant, or incomplete recessive inheritance.
According to his owner, Rushan diplayed flaxen until he was 3 years old. He is 2 in this photo.
http://equine.colorgenetics.info/galler…
As a mature stallion, in his teens:
http://equine.colorgenetics.info/galler…
But here's the thing - Rushan
But here's the thing - Rushan is out of a long line of flaxen chestnuts, and he throws flaxen chestnut foals.
His sire:[IMG]http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad22…]
His dam: [IMG]http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad22…]
His son: [IMG]http://i937.photobucket.com/albums/ad22…]
That's one of the flaws they
That's one of the flaws they note about the research was age of the animal. The fact that there is such a consistent pattern (at least from what was recorded) is both interesting and incredibly frustrating because last I heard genetic testing to start isolating a mutation was proposed but they were denied because of these results.
If you see an eyeball in the tab for the horse in the link and click it, they have pictures of the animal linked to a Flickr account
Yep, flaxen. Flaxen is not
Yep, flaxen. Flaxen is not well understood but it is thought to be a recessive.