Ivory Sulcata Genetics? Warning: Nerd!Alert

[ShadowRancher]

So I'm a super cool biology nerd

...really, ok fine I'm a Bio nerd anyway and I've been idly wondering about the terms being used in association with ivory (and I guess albino as well) Sulcatas.

Het is the normal abbreviation for heterozygous, so I understand that being used as a descriptor for individuals that have a heterozygous genotype for the recessive with a "normal" phenotype. What I don't understand is 100% Het? What does that mean?

It's possible I'm over thinking it and missing the point but all I can think of is basal bodies of the x chromosome and calico cats... Because each x chromosome isnt expressed in every cell (100%?) But then tortoises don't have genetic sexes so, yeah, over thinking

While I'm at it have the genetics of ivories/albinos been figured out? Are there three separate alleles that control skin, shell and eyes separately so an ivory just has no mutation in the last? Or are the two conditions completely separate and unrelated? Or any other of a thousand explanations really (woot! Genetic complexity)

Just curious.

 

[Kristina]

I have seen people describe their tortoises as 100% hets as well... The only thing I can say is that I don't think that is correct. Knowing a little about ball python genetics, I think that the most you can have is a 66% het.

 

[jaizei]

100% het means that here is 100% chance that it carries that gene, that one of the parents was an ivory/albino/etc.

Also, 66% het means that both of the parents were 100% hets. 1/4 of the offspring would be ivory, 2/4 would be het. and 1/4 would be normal. So out of the 3 normal looking offspring, 2/3 would be a het. The %'s are basically the chance that the animal possesses the gene.

 

[ShadowRancher]

100% het means that here is 100% chance that it carries that gene, that one of the parents was an ivory/albino/etc.

OooOoH! That makes so much sense, thank you.

I was just thinking in terms of the individual not in their statistical chances of being het... Yeah knew I was thinking way too hard :shy:

All I needed was to think punnet square rather than going off on (mostly) impossible mosaic genetic structures...I never was any good at the whole Occam's razor thing

 

[ShadowRancher]

So no input on what the genetic mechanism is?

 

[JLSchmittou]

So I'm a super cool biology nerd

...really, ok fine I'm a Bio nerd anyway and I've been idly wondering about the terms being used in association with ivory (and I guess albino as well) Sulcatas.

Het is the normal abbreviation for heterozygous, so I understand that being used as a descriptor for individuals that have a heterozygous genotype for the recessive with a "normal" phenotype. What I don't understand is 100% Het? What does that mean?

It's possible I'm over thinking it and missing the point but all I can think of is basal bodies of the x chromosome and calico cats... Because each x chromosome isnt expressed in every cell (100%?) But then tortoises don't have genetic sexes so, yeah, over thinking

While I'm at it have the genetics of ivories/albinos been figured out? Are there three separate alleles that control skin, shell and eyes separately so an ivory just has no mutation in the last? Or are the two conditions completely separate and unrelated? Or any other of a thousand explanations really (woot! Genetic complexity)

Just curious.

How common are albino/ivory torts?? I saw a pic online yesterday of a pair of hatchlings... So interesting... And I like geek speak, although its not a language I'm fluent in

 

[ShadowRancher]

Um I think they are decently common...I've seen a couple for sale and seem threads where they are mentioned (mostly as ppl commenting that they wouldn't pay much more for ivories bc they don't look a whole lot different as adults).