Mangile's Pigeon Pages

Location

 

There are at least nine (9) mutant genes that have been identified at five (5) different locations on the sex-chromosome of the domestic pigeon, (Columba livia).

Gene Symbols Chart
Shown in the Gene Symbols chart are nine sex-linked gene variations, found at five different locations - (d, r, wl, St, b) - on the sex chromosome.  Those with super-scripts  (d, St, b) indicate they are alternatives, or alleles, at each of their respective locations.
 

The site of each gene's location on a chromosome is called a "locus"; and each locus can be occupied by only one gene at a time.   Two genes can occupy a given location only in paired chromosomes  (one on each chromosome).  Also remember that all "normal genes" are considered wildtype genes (symbol = +).
 


Sex Chromosome

In this example of an ash-red, male pigeon - dilution is found at a different location than brown and ash-red.  Alleles at a given location must begin with the same letter(s).  Those beginning with upper case letters indicate a dominant, and those beginning with lower case letters indicate recessive - to wildtype.
 
 
 

Though all wildtype genes are represented with the "+" symbol, the individual actions of each gene, which may number in the thousands - in a combined effort - produce the individual.  Each of those wildtype genes are accepted as normal, or standard.  Only those genes that have changed or mutated from the wildtype (called mutations) are labeled.

Note: A chromosome may have uncounted hundreds of gene locations (loci).  For simplicity, only four locations are shown in the example above.



Back * * Index  * * Forward

Home