MorphMarket News

We are excited to announce that Dr. Hannah Seidel and team have just published a scientific paper in which they present the details of the Yellowbelly (YB) complex that they have decoded.

First, they were able to show that there are TWO mutations in the same gene that cause the YB morph. Either of these mutations can cause a yellowbelly, and Ivories can be two copies of either one of these mutations, or one copy of each. So, the YBs and Ivories we are all used to seeing as keepers and breeders are technically not all the same genetically.

Their research further explained the mutations that cause YB and Ivory are mutations that completely alter the genetic product (i.e., protein) and likely render it totally inactive. Whereas the mutations that cause Spark and Specter cause less of a change to the resulting protein, and the protein is still able to partially do its job (hence the difference between an Ivory and a Super Specter).

Finally, the mutations that cause Asphalt and Gravel change the normal protein even less than Specter and Spark, so their effects are less severe than what you see in an Ivory or a Super Spark or Super Specter.

Ben Morrill, PhD, Rare Genetics Inc