Only one in about 3,000 calico cats are male. You knew that, but the explanation of how sex and cat fur color are so intertwined is a new one for me. The explanation starts with a refresher on X and Y chromosomes. Females have two X, and males have an X and a Y. In cats, the X chromosome determines fur color. Unless that color is white. A cat with two X chromosomes (female) only uses one of them, while the other will go dormant.
The important thing here is that the same X-chromosome does not inactivate for each cell. One cell may shut off the X-chromosome from the mother while leaving the chromosome from the father. That cell then creates more cells, each of which will use the father’s X-chromosome to determine the fur color. Likewise, another cell may silence the X-chromosome from the father and instead use the chromosome from the mother.
So, for instance, if the female offspring receives the chromosome for black fur from both of its parents, she will have black fur. In the case of calico cats, the same process occurs. However, the offspring receives the chromosome for, for instance, black fur from one parent and orange fur from the other. One cell inactivates the chromosome for black fur resulting in orange fur. Other cells use the chromosome for black fur instead. In both cases, these cells are replicated and the inactivated chromosome will always stay inactive. Those two colors then combine on the cat’s fur to create the orange and black patches of fur. If the cat only has these two colors, it is known as a tortoiseshell cat.
But what about white? That’s a different story, because white cat fur isn’t dependent on sex chromosomes. Any cat can have white fur, or patches of white fur. And then there are the rare male calico cats. Read how that happens in the full post at Today I Found Out.
(Image credit: Flickr user Erica Zabowski)
Comments (2)
No one would ever have found him. He did the smart thing. Inconvenient for the people of WL, but they would have done the same thing in his place.
@Romeo Vitelli
Stunt? I suggest you look the word up in a dictionary.
Next time you're lost and the authorities decide you aren't worth the $100,000 it would cost to rescue you would you be happy? I doubt it.
Plus I think the folks that live that far out in the boonies are most likely prepared to handle a loss of power.
What do you do?
;)
I would not mind my power being cut to save a life. This man was smart and I am thankful he is OK.
I can understand the surrounding areas that has their power cut being a little peeved, but hopefully they'll be understanding and sympathize.
Now, if it's my wife who is on life support... well she probably doesn't wanna know my answer!
As for the cost, if he had brought proper signal gear (which he definitely should have) the rescue would have cost nearly the same amount of money anyway.
In the end, a couple hundred people without power is a small price to pay for the life of one person, and I don't care what anyone says. Those in need have resources in town to cover those needs - including those in the hospitals.
But I don't blame the man for being creative in his SOS. I've heard Les Stroud say he would set a forest on fire if it would get him rescued and home to his family, but that is NOT something he recommends as a starting point.
If he had planned ahead, he wouldn't have had to resort to such a risk. It's not exactly safe chopping down poles.