Coat colour inheritance in Soay, Orkney and Shetland sheep

Abstract

Analysis of the numerical proportions of Soay, Orkney and Shetland sheep of different colours together with test matings, produced results compatible with the hypothesis that these breeds have a multiple allelic series at locus A , white ( A 1 ) being dominant to grey ( A 2 ) and both being dominant to the gene for self‐colour ( A 5 ). The alleles at the A locus are epistatic to the alleles for pigment production at locus B , black ( B 1 ) being dominant to brown ( B 2 ).