Our Explanation of Genetics

This isn't the best explanation. It's just a bunch of info stuck together. We assume you know a little about genetics. These are just general rules and the info we have gathered from several books, websites, and biology classes. We have organized it so it makes sense to us and put it here for someone else to possibly understand. We are not geneticists-we don't claim this is exact or wholly correct. We are mostly in it for the fun!

• phenotype=what the gerbil looks like, appearance
• genotype=the actual genes the gerbil has, genes
• genetic color=the color-name given to a gerbil that fits within a set of allowed genes

Any gerbil that carries a recessive gene can have it's appearance affected by it. Gerbils that carry a recessive gene at several loci can be even more affected. Some colors are defined by carrying a recessive gene i.e. argente golden is CC, argente cream is Ch. Age also affects the appearance. As a gerbils ages it can moult, become darker, or become lighter. Weather/environment can also have an affect.To add to the confusion:

• Two gerbils with the same genotype may have a different phenotype.
• Two gerbils with different genotypes may have the same phenotype.
• Two gerbils identified as the same genetic color may have slightly different genotypes.

Here, we will consider only 6 gene loci. Gerbil genetics are relatively simple in that regard, as opposed to other small animals such as rats or hamsters. There are usually only 2 alleles, occasionally 3, to each loci. Below is a listing of those 6 loci, the alleles or genes possible in each locus, and some short notes. Included is a link to our color chart with the color names and genes for those colors, organized by general categories and done in pretty colors!

Agouti locus=whether or not the gerbil has a white belly.

• A=dominant (white belly)
  
• a=recessive (self-colored, same color almost all over)

"Other color" locus (sometimes referred to as the albino locus, but gerbils cannot be albino so we also call it the "other color"). Often a lightened version of a color is produced by simply carrying a recessive (Ch).

• C=dominant
  
• h=recessive (hh creates a white gerbil)
  
• b=recessive (bb creates a colorpoint gerbil, bh creates a colorpoint gerbil)

Extended locus=does not determine whether or not a gerbil has ticking! Golden Agouti gerbils have ticking with or without a recessive e, and Nutmeg gerbils (ee) also have ticking.

• E=dominant
  
• e=recessive (ee creates the nutmegs/foxes)
  
• f=recessive (ef or ff creates a Schimmel type, whose color fades as they age)

Gray locus=if the gerbil has a yellow base fur or gray base fur, this description pretty much just fits when the gerbil has two recessive genes creating the loss of the yellow pigment i.e. golden agouti with gg becomes gray agouti. Ususally gg just means the fur color is lightened, not a loss of yellow base.

• G=dominant
  
• g=recessive

Eye color locus=black/dark or pink/red, a gerbil's eyes are not always blackest black. There are several shades from pink to black, depending on the other genes a gerbil carries.

• P=dominant (black/dark)
  
• p=recessive (pink/red)

Spotting locus=whether or not the gerbil has white on it's head/neck/shoulders/hindquarters. The spotting gene also causes white on the belly. Two spotting genes is lethal (Any zygote with two spotting genes will be absorbed in the womb and never born. Breeding 2 spotted gerbils will result in 25% fewer offspring due to SpSp lethality). Spotting can also lighten the entire appearance of a gerbil.

• S or Sp=either you have the gene and you are spotted
  
• sp or blank= ...or you don't have the gene and you're not spotted

Here, the ~ symbol indicates that only one dominant gene is needed to determine the effects of the locus. It also means that the other gene can be either dominant or recessive. The extended locus column is left mostly blank because most colors are E~. We left if blank because it just makes it easier to read.