cat coat genetics

Pigment trait definition

Record what pigment-related property a claim explains and how that property was distinguished from appearance alone.

1. Does the proposed explanation concern pigment identity, production, deposition or visible intensity? definition
2. What observations or assays distinguish the proposed pigment mechanism from another cause of a similar coat colour? measurement

Modifier-dependent colour

Record the conditions under which a proposed colour modifier changes a base phenotype.

1. Which genetic backgrounds and expression conditions were examined when the modifier effect was reported? provenance
2. What evidence separates an inherited intensity change from age, temperature, lighting or an acquired coat change? boundary

Pattern unit

Record the spatial scale, developmental stage and observation method of each pattern claim.

1. Does the claim explain pigment bands along hairs, body markings or the distribution of differently coloured patches? definition
2. How were body region, age and visibility of markings controlled when phenotypes were compared? measurement

Patch mechanism and masking

Record whether a patch phenotype is explained by pigment-cell distribution, cellular mosaicism or another supported mechanism, including traits obscured by it.

1. What evidence distinguishes the mechanism proposed for white areas from the mechanism proposed for differently pigmented patches? provenance
2. Which underlying colour or pattern traits cannot be inferred reliably because visible white areas or other effects obscure them? boundary

Hair trait observation

Record how length, curl, shaft form and coverage are observed and separated.

1. Which hair property is being explained, and how is it distinguished from a composite description such as a breed's characteristic coat? definition
2. What body sites, hair types, ages and measurement methods define the reported phenotype? measurement

Similar coats, distinct causes

Keep visual similarity separate from evidence of shared variants or mechanisms.

1. Were similar long-haired, curly-coated or reduced-hair phenotypes shown to share a causal variant, or only a descriptive label? provenance
2. When does reduced hair coverage require an acquired or clinical explanation outside this model? boundary

Inheritance model identification

Record allele identities, transmission assumptions and the evidence supporting their relationships.

1. Which gene or locus, allele notation and molecular variants does the inheritance claim refer to? definition
2. What pedigree or molecular evidence supports its dominance relationships and any sex-linked transmission model? provenance

Conditional coat outcomes

Separate predicted genotype frequencies from visible phenotype probabilities and state all necessary assumptions.

1. Which interactions, masking effects, linkage assumptions or expression uncertainties alter the mapping from inherited genotype to visible coat? boundary
2. What parental evidence is sufficient to calculate an outcome distribution, and how should unresolved genotypes be represented? action

Claim strength and assay coverage

Record evidence type, sampled populations, replication and the precise targets of a genetic assay.

1. Does the source establish segregation, statistical association, functional causation or independent replication, and in which cats? provenance
2. Which variants does the assay detect, and what explanations remain possible after a negative result? boundary
3. What additional observation or test would resolve a conflict between the reported genotype and the visible coat? action

Coat knowledge conventions

Identify the authority behind a term or classification without presuming that cat coat genetics is an independently institutionalised discipline.

1. Which scientific reference, nomenclature authority or breed registry defines each coat term, and where do their meanings differ? provenance
2. Which classification schemes, reviews or institutional resources explicitly locate this subject within animal genetics or pigmentation biology? boundary

Check these first

Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.

1. Which of these check these first hold for the sense of cat coat genetics this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Kinds and varieties

Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.

1. Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of cat coat genetics this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Identifiers and schemes

Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.

1. Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of cat coat genetics this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Real-world use

Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.

1. Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of cat coat genetics this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Failure modes and hazards

Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.

1. Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of cat coat genetics this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Regional variation

Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.

1. Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of cat coat genetics this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart

Recalled without web access and unsourced; every item is a lead to verify.

1. Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of cat coat genetics this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance