NEW YORK (AP) — Now we know how the tabby cat earns his stripes. He just needs the right DNA.
Scientists say they've found the gene that determines which of the common tabby patterns a cat will have -- stripes or blotches.
Cats with narrow stripes, the so-called "mackerel" pattern, have a working copy of the gene. If a mutation turns the gene off, the cat ends up with the blotchy, or "classic" pattern.
One of the authors of the research says it's called the "classic" pattern because cat lovers really like it.
The gene is one of several that collaborate to create the distinctive design of a cat's coat. It's the first of the pattern genes to be identified.
The research appears online in the journal Science.
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APPHOTO NY865: This undated photo made available by Science magazine shows tabby cats with the mackerel pattern, top row, and blotched pattern, bottom row. Scientists say they've found the gene that sets the common tabby pattern - stripes or blotches. Cats with narrow stripes, the so-called "mackerel" pattern, have a working copy of the gene. But if a mutation turns the gene off, the cat ends up with the blotchy "classic" pattern, researchers reported online Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012 in the journal Science. (AP Photo/Science, Helmi Flick) (19 Jan 2007)
<<APPHOTO NY865 (01/19/07)>>
