Decode the stripes on the cat's fur

In the end, scientists also deciphered the mystery hidden under the cat's streaks and the cat relatives such as tigers, newspapers .

Researchers at Stanford University (USA) have discovered the so-called " turn off gene" responsible for the fur of these animals, which is the Taqpep gene.

During the study, scientists compared samples of biological materials from dozens of domestic cats with stripes and patches, color patches on their fur and cats' felines.

Scientists have uncovered the secret of the cat's bristles.

They found the previously unknown parts of their genome, located on the first chromosome, which have previously eluded zoologists. It is the gene that regulates the color and the 'patterns' on the cat fur and the other members with them.

Through studying the process of forming the fur of animals, biologists proved their hypothesis.

According to this hypothesis, at the stage of the gene's developmental activity is responsible for black while black pigments dominate in these pigmented cells are overwhelmed in other pigment cells. Therefore - according to their explanation - tigers have stripes but only spotted newspaper (leopard, leopards .).

Genetic data about color is preserved throughout an animal's life and is inherited in genes from parents to children.

In addition, the hypothesis also explains why those 'patterns' appear simultaneously in cats and dogs from small to large (while in many animals, the color of the coat and the patterns change from time to time). maturity).

However, the authors also said that their work was just beginning and there were still many issues to continue their research, for example, why cats live wild like black newspapers, lions do not have stripes and spots.