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Parrotlet Genetics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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SHORTCUTS |
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More genetics to come soon! |
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| As Parrotlet mutations are not sex linked, it is easy to use Punnett Squares (named after the English Geneticist, Reginald Crundall Punnett) to determine what possible colors would come out of a specific pairing. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Genetic Basics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To read Punnett Squares you must understand that each trait of a bird comes from having an allele (chromosome or gene) from each parent that represents that trait. Alleles can be either dominant or recessive. If an offspring receives 2 dominant alleles than that trait will most likely be a visual trait (i.e. Visual Green). If a baby receives 1 dominant and 1 recessive allele, the dominant allele will still most likely be the visual (i.e. Visual Green split to Blue). If the offspring receives 2 recessive alleles than the recessive trait should be visual (i.e. Visual Blue). | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In a Punnett Square, dominant alleles are represented by capital letters and recessive alleles by lower case letters - usually the same letter. The varying combinations of these dominant and recessive alleles then determine the trait of the offspring. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Key | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Note that we use the letter B (versus letter G) to represent the allele to determine Green/Blue coloring. This is because Blue being the recessive trait, it is easier to spot the recessive results when you use a letter that represents the recessive allele. A visual Recessive trait (in this case Visual Blue) will appear as 2 lower case letters. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| For the sake of space, we will discontinue using the word "Visual" when referring to a Visual Green or a Visual Blue. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This really doesn't need to be shown as there are no results other than Green, but it is at least an introduction to the Punnett Square setup. Note that because the parrotlet traits are not sex-linked, it doesn't matter which side (top or left) is the mother or father. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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This pairing yields 100% Green split to Blue offspring. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Yield: 50% Green | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Yield: 25% Green | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Yield: 50% Green
Split to Blue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Yield: 100% Blue |
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Double Mutations |
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| Here's the fun part! The following Punnett Squares deal with double mutations (2 sets of letters or alleles). Use these Squares if you want to get Double Splits, Yellows, Whites, and Splits to Yellow. Note that White actually comes from having both the recessive Blue allele AND the recessive Yellow allele. White itself is not an allele. Therefore a bird that is Split to White is ACTUALLY a Split to Yellow (most people call it Split to White because it has the yellow gene which can create White). Double Split parrotlets are Visual Green birds that are split to blue and yellow. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Yield: 100% Double Split | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Yield: 25% Green | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Note: This yields ALL Visual Greens! There is no way to visually determine whether they are true green, split to yellow, split to blue, or double split. Keep that in mind! | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Yield: 25% Green
split to Blue | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Yield: 12.5%
Green |
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Yield: 12.5%
Green split to Blue |
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| Note: Yes! this can yield a White Parrotlet! However, only the white and the yellow are unquestionable as to what they are. With the Greens you are still guessing whether they are Normal, Split or Double Split and with the Blues, whether they are just Blue or Blue split Yellow. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||