It’s likely that you’ve heard of tuxedo cats, eerie black cats, and erratic orange cats. Even less well-known color variations, including seal point and ticking tabby, may be in your collection if you’re a serious cat lover. A new cat color seems to be appearing now, generally described as salty licorice, or salmiak, which is the new cat color that’s officially in town. This coat color has been making an appearance in Finland, where it is named after a famous snack delicacy. The fur strand that gives it its attractive black, white, and grey tint begins dark near the root and becomes increasingly whiter as it moves toward the tip.
A new cat color was discovered by scientists in the past few days
A panel of cat specialists, led by feline geneticist Heidi Anderson, became aware of the coat in 2019 after it was originally seen in 2007. Since then, the team has been working to determine the precise origin of this shade’s expression, and they have recently done it. The journal Animal Genetics has published a study on the discovery. When researching the new cat color—or, to be honest, any manifestation of hereditary traits—you start with the obvious and work your way out. Naturally, the researchers initially thought that this new variety was only a playful way for the “dilution” gene, which produces white, to show itself.
In actuality, cats are only available in two colors: orange and black. Any other color can be either a faded form of one of those hues (due to the dilution gene), a blend of those two colors, or both. The natural assumption, then, was that salt-and-pepper cats were an intriguing new manifestation of the dilution gene at work when experts began to observe them running around. You may make salty licorice by adding a bit more white than usual to the typical black cat color. However, after searching through every genetic variant known to regulate that dilution gene’s expression in cat color, the scientists found nothing.
Furthermore, they then went on and sequenced the full genomes of two of these unique cats in an attempt to identify the cause of these new coats by sorting through the vast amount of genetic material. As it happens, the solution lay in the absence of anything. About a gene known to influence white patterns in animal coats, Anderson informed New Scientist that a significant portion of the sequence was absent downstream from the KIT gene. Additionally, there was a fragment of DNA missing from these animals.
As the new cat color surprised scientists, they conducted more than 180 tests
Having tested 181 cats to ensure they understood what they were seeing, the team was able to verify that the salmiak coat color was indeed caused by the missing sequence. Additionally, the mutation was recessive, meaning that the cat would only display this color if it received the gene from both parents. This helps to explain why this coloration is uncommon. With the mystery now solved, the gang is content to relax and enjoy their adorable cats and the rest of the world. For instance, Anderson told New Scientist that these coats have been highly regarded for years.
Now that there is a genetic basis for it, it is quite fascinating. They’re not merely putting their feet up, though. The resolution of this issue enhances our knowledge of the genetics of this cat color and may be useful for breeding initiatives, which could help preserve this trait in our feline friends, Anderson wrote in a blog post.
Is not only about the new cat color; it seems that cats are now sparkling
Although the size and general color of many cat varieties are similar, some cats have incredibly intriguing genetic secrets, and one of the most fascinating secrets of all might be concealed by the Bengal cat, one of the most intriguing felines. Scientists at the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology discovered that Bengal cats’ coats sparkle like glitter after cross-breeding. They studied 3,000 DNA samples from Bengal cats and found that this was due to a change in the FGFR2 gene. This rare condition is not found in wild Asian leopards but is present in domestic cats, as reported in the journal Current Biology.
