GENETICS OF THE RINGNECK DOVE: Albino

GENETICS OF THE RINGNECK DOVE, Streptopelia risoria.

II. Description of mutants

ALBINO, an autosomal recessive. Gene symbol = al.

Adapted from ADAN Sep-Oct 1984: 3-5

This color originally occurred in Japan. It was described by Tange, 1932, 1949. Dr. Hollander and I imported it in 1967 from Dr. Takao Kashiwabara, Dept. of Animal Husbandry, Fac. of Agric. Ibaraki University, Tsuchiura, Japan. He sent us 3 males and 3 females, but evidently they were so inbred that they failed to produce a pure bred strain. Only after outcrosses with our ringnecks did we reextract the albino with high fertility. This was the source of my J strain of birds and all albino ringnecks in the U.S., so far as I know.

By definition, albino is the absence of melanin. In some species other pigments such as xanthophylls or carotonoids are present. An albino red-winged black bird, for example, could have red and yellow epaulets. But in the ringneck dove and domestic pigeon also, feather and eye pigments are only melanin, so albinos are white with pink eyes.

The albino squab when first hatched is difficult to distinguish from white, or even from the ivory-rosy = cream combination.

My studies confirm Tange's results that albino is a regular (autosomal) recessive in inheritance. My evidence is presented in table 1. Note that I classified 1,905 squabs from 153 matings for albinism. A statistically significant excess (less than P = .05) of albino progeny occurs twice among 10 kinds of matings. Chance with small numbers is probably the explanation for the first of these (Probablility = P = .04). I have no explanation for the second which has larger numbers (P = .017). From 153 matings 1905 offspring were classified from purebred matings, from first crosses, from testcrosses, and from F₂ (carrier by carrier) matings.

Doves that are carriers ("split" = heterozygotes) of albino may have some albino offspring. In fact, on the average, 1/4 of the offspring would be albino. If we use al to = the albino gene and + to = the alternative normal gene (allele) it can be diagramamed like the figures below. (For the gene symbol some persons may prefer just the "a" for the albino gene symbol, or c = colorless used in some other species. Also remember that an individual has 2 genes for any one character, but sperm or eggs have only one.)

Another way of looking at it is through the gametes (sperm and egg).

Of course, if the albino were in a testcross, the useful kind of backcross, we could diagram it as:

Interactions:

Albino, combined with any color, hides (= is epistatic to) that color. So one could substitute blond or rosy or ivory for that dark color and get the same kind of results in the diagrams.

Albinos certainly can't see as well as normal birds. They don't like really bright light. If kept outdoors, they are likely to develop eye problems sooner than other types might. The main difficulty, however, is with squabs. In common with whites and combined mutants like creams whose eye pigment is slower to develop than other types, they are less able to find food and water readily. The fancier needs to recognize thirst and hunger and assist the squabs for 1-2-3 days. Of course, other colored squabs may have water and food probems, but, in frequency of needs, albinos are often the most helpless. Once adapted to the food and watercups, they do very well for themselves.

Tange, M. 1932. Unexpected occurrence of albino individuals in the offspring of blond ring doves, Streptopelia risoria. (In Japanese with an English resume). Japanese Jour. Genetics, 8: 1-18.

Tange, M. 1949. Further data on the crossing of albino ring doves with white ones. Journal Fac. Agric. Kyüshü University 9: 127-142.

Table 1. Family data for the inheritance of albino color in ringneck doves, Streptopelia risoria (douraca source).
					Number of offspring
Type of mating	Expected ratio	Number of matings	Sex that is albino	Sex segregating	normal = non-albino	Albino	Total	X²	P
Purebred of extracted albinos	0:1	10	both	-	0	101	101	-	-

First crosses	1:0	29	9 female 20 male	-	245	0	245	-	-
Species hybrids¹	1:0	13	5 female 8 male	-	125	0	125	-	-
Subtotal		42			370		370	-	-

Testcrosses Subtotal	1:1 1:1 1:1	16 36 52	female male	male female	120 250 370	104 231 335	224 481 705	1.14 0.75 1.74	0.28 0.34 0.18

humilis¹ hybrids Subtotal	1:1 1:1 1:1	5 13 18	female male	male female	25 124 149	42 109 151	67 233 300	4.31* 0.97 0.01	0.04 0.31 0.98

DNA Transformation Families	1:1	5	male	female	22	17	39	0.64	0.42

Testcross Subtotal	1:1	75			541	503	1044	1.38	0.25

F₂ J-risoria	3:1	23	-	both	235	104	339	5.83*	0.017
F₂ humilis hybrids	3:1	3	-	both	42	9	51	1.47	0.23
Subtotal		26			277	113	390	3.29	0.07

Grand Total		153			1188	717	1905

¹The species hybrids are between S. risoria and S. humilis [dwarf turtle dove] with (usually) several backcrosses to S. risoria, but often mated inter se as well.

Dove Colors and Genetics

Return to Wilmer's Main Page.