Geneticists have solved the mystery of black tigers from India
Scientists from India and the United States studied an isolated population of tigers from the Indian Biological Park Nankandan. These animals have a very unusual appearance, according to the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
About 50 years ago, local residents began reporting encounters with “black” tigers. The stripes on their skins were much wider than usual and merged with each other, which made them really appear black and not red.
Tigers lived in the reserve and could not interbreed with animals from other populations. Over time, caretakers began to worry that the population would begin to degenerate, suffering from frequent intimate relationships.
The authors of the new scientific work analyzed the genome of “black” tigers and compared the data with samples from other populations. They were able to identify the cause of the appearance of solid black stripes – a recessive single nucleotide, which, as shown by previous studies in other types of cats, is responsible for the structure of the coat.
The team then compared the nucleotide to data collected from other tigers in India, both in reserves and in the wild. It turned out that 58% of tigers from Nankandan Park have a genetic predisposition to “black” wool. But none of the predators living outside this reserve has a corresponding mutation.
Scientists have concluded that the mutation increases the likelihood of a tiger having black hair 200 times. But the recessive gene must be inherited from both parents.
Earlier, scientists talked about an Indian tiger that made a record migration. He covered 1,300 kilometers.
