Re: [pyrnet] Black Pyrenees, White Newf...

[Kshoffman@aol.com]

In a message dated 7/8/02 5:24:01 PM Eastern Daylight Time, JGentzel@aol.com writes:


> Could you reference this for us?  I would like to study it myself and since "Most geneticists" belive that Pyrs specifically are this genetic make up, it would be nice to study it first hand.  Thanks for the info and I look forward to the specific reference(s) on the Pyr that is definative, that I might study it and increase my knowledge.   


When I have time I'll type up and post the color genetics write-ups on Great Pyrs from books authored by Clarence Little, Malcolm Willis, and Roy Robinson.  As I recall, all three gentlemen reference the existence of a chinchilla allele in Pyrs.  I know Willis does and his work was the most recent (late 80s to early 90s).

I wouldn't say any of their hypotheses are written in stone since their published work is outdated and was not based on molecular analysis.  It's a foundation, and a good one at that, but there is much we still don't know about color genetics and pigmentation processes in dogs. Researchers have only recently begun to learn more from molecular analysis, and current findings render some of the above mentioned geneticists work on coat color "incomplete" at best.  In short, there's very little "definitive" knowlege on coat color genetics for many breeds at this point in time.

Kelley Hoffman
kshoffman@aol.com