From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2004-08-30 01:49:44 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Digest 28 Aug 2004 18:11:11 -0000 Issue 771
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <5417314.1093830584236.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
I think that what she was referring to was to teh breeders who first increased the proportion of these neural crest genetic variants. Now they have already been so greatly increased in the population that breeders fidn it hard, sometimes even impossible to be free of them completely. That was not always the case. We have had ferrets in our family for 23 years and these markings used to be rare, in fact so rare that premium prices were at one point asked, something like 10 to 15 years ago (I think more the earlier date range.)
One thing about a genetic variant which has variable expression is that it is easier to increase it in the population than it is to decrease it due to it at times being hidden.
I am glad that you had one of the ones who made it to over 7; I have not heard of many of those who bear evidence of neural crest genetic variants such as the Kit oncogene whereas it is quite the norm for many other markings.
Like you said, though, these days it is very difficult for breeders to have lines which are free of these ancient genetic variations. That was not always so, at least in my area in New Jersey if a person looks back far enough in the last two decades. (BTW, a number of people predicted exactly this population genetics shift abck when there was premium pricing and a number of people were selectively breeding for these markings.)