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Why cats can be red
At the same time, the manifestation of this color differs in animals due to different sexes.
After 60 years of genetic research, scientists have finally identified the gene that is responsible for the red coloration of domestic cats. In particular, the researchers found that any fiery shade of fur on cats is likely a consequence of the absence of a DNA segment in the non-protein part of the cat's genome, Science Alert writes.
“It was a genetic mystery, a puzzle,” said Stanford University geneticist Greg Barsh in an interview with Science.
Barsh and his colleagues found that skin cells from cats that grow orange fur express 13 times more RNA from the Arhgap36 gene than skin cells from cats without orange fur.
