Tabby Pattern Genetics: A Whole New Breed of Cat

The study of tabby pattern genetics in domestic cats by Eizirik et al. (2010) provided new insights into mammalian color variation, identifying two loci, Tabby and Ticked, that determine tabby coat patterns such as ticked, mackerel, blotched, and spotted. The Tabby locus influenced the type of pattern, while the Ticked locus affected the presence or absence of a pattern. The research suggested that tabby patterns arose from a 'spatially oriented' mechanism establishing a prepattern in the skin and a 'pigmentation-oriented' mechanism regulating pigment expression. The persistence of tabby markings despite disruptions in known pigmentation pathways indicated an unidentified signaling system, and the study explored genetic interactions that convert stripes to spots, offering insights into the evolutionary and developmental biology of coat patterns in cats and other mammals.