Now, two studies have finally identified the genetic key to this mystery, solving a puzzle first theorized in 1912. The studies, conducted independently by Japanese and American research teams, have ...

After 60 years of searching, geneticists have finally identified the gene behind the marmalade coloration in domestic cats.

Tortoiseshell cats have a brindling pattern (mixture) of orange and non-orange hairs throughout the coat, with some areas mostly orange or non-orange. Calico cats have distinct patches of orange ...

Two new, preliminary papers identify a gene related to a cat’s coloration. The work also explains why tortoiseshell and calico cats tend to be females Gayoung Lee The genetic basis for orange ...

Two separate research teams found that the characteristic ginger, calico, and tortoiseshell colours in cats are due to a missing piece of DNA in a part of the cat's genome that doesn't make proteins.

A prime example of X inactivation is in the coat-color patterning of tortoiseshell or calico cats (Figure 1). In cats, the fur pigmentation gene is X-linked, and depending on which copy of the X ...

The story begins with a seemingly simple observation: most orange cats are boys, while calico and tortoiseshell cats are almost always female. This isn’t just a random coincidence; it’s a ...

It’s a question I’ve always wanted the answer to.” For decades, ginger, tortoiseshell, and calico cats have fascinated scientists. In most mammals, humans included, red hair is caused by ...

In most other mammals, like dogs, sheep, rabbits, and horses, mutations in a protein called Mc1r lead to red hair color, but ...

For more than a century, the genetic secrets behind the vibrant orange coats of ginger cats and the intricate patterns of tortoiseshells have puzzled scientists and cat enthusiasts alike.

But female kittens can have a calico's patchwork of black, orange and white, or a tortoiseshell's marbling of orange scattered through black fur. A tortoiseshell cat. (Yosei G/Unsplash ...