Fw: [Jacob-list] Copycat.

[Grose]

I meant to send this to everybody, brain dead after 10.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Grose 
To: dave & katrina 
Sent: Tuesday, March 12, 2002 10:40 PM
Subject: Re: [Jacob-list] Copycat.


I have a picture of three clones of a famous "Holestein" cow. They are quite different in the appearance of their markings. We have also had a set of twins that were from a split embryo, and they differed in their markings. This is not so much from "environment" as it is a result of random variation. As I understand it, the markings become discrete much the same as the fingerprints of human twins vary. It is difficult for me to believe that things like nutrition have much of an effect. [Are we going to believe that healthier sheep are black?] There certainly is some genetic influence, but there is a limit to what genes can code. There simply is not enough DNA to code for each cell to produce black or white pigment.
My guess is that if you mated a ram to 100 ewes whose % black averaged the same as the ram, then the offspring might well average the same % black as the ram. The variation would be tremendous, and in a small sample of that group, you might not believe that they were offsprings of that ram.

Neal Grose

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: dave & katrina 
  To: jacob-list 
  Sent: Tuesday, March 12, 2002 6:53 PM
  Subject: [Jacob-list] Copycat.


  Did any of you hear about 'Copycat', the pet kitten that was cloned?  I thought the article was interesting because they said that Copycat is not the same color as her donor parent!  The article said that color and markings are not only genetically governed, but also are controlled by what happens in the womb.  My husband says the same goes for Holestein cattle markings.  I remember reading of old time Jacob breeders writing things like this (in Ingrid's book)  but wondered at the time how much of that is true.  Think the whole topic is interesting since obviously genes do make a difference too.  Our rams look very different and you definitely can see it in their lambs.  On the other hand, we had a lot of opposite % color twins and I can't help but wonder if this was environment rather than genetics.
  Katrina Lefever, Chicory Lane. 
  http://wwwfac.wmdc.edu/HTMLpages/Graduate/TI/pages/lefever/sale.htm
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