Cat Disguise!
Ever wonder where a cheetah gets his spots or why your tabby has the cutest pattern on her feet? Wonder no more – the gene was found in September:
“After years of studying how cats get their color, researchers have pinpointed an elusive gene underlying spots on cheetahs, stripes in house cats and patterns across the feline world.
Called Taqpep, it and two other genes produce proteins central to a cascade of cell-level events that ultimately generate your kitty’s distinctive coat.
Feline coat patterns fall into two categories: stripes and spots.”
And from here we lead and leave you to Wired, where this stories explains the patterns, the new gene and showcases some of the most amazing photos on the topic.
