Genetics of Plumage Color Mutants in Japanese Quail

Abstract

Five mutants, plus the wild-type, were evaluated to determine the mode of inheritance of plumage color in Japanese quail. Brown (E) is incompletely dominant to its wild-type allele (e+) and epistatic to yellow (Y). The phenotypic expression of the heterozygote (E/e+) is a brown bird with tan shafts. Shafts are heavier for quail that are brown/yellow (E/e+, Y/y+). White (wh) is recessive to its wild-type allele (Wh+) and complementary with brown (E). Tuxedo types result when at least one E and only one wh gene are present together. Yellow (Y), which is lethal in the homozygote, is dominant to its wild-type allele (y+). Sex-linked imperfect albino (al), sex-linked recessive dark-eyed dilute (alD) and their wild-type allele (Al+) form a triple allelic series with the heterozygote (al/alD) tending to be lighter in color than alD/alD or alD/0.