Key Takeaways

• Pigeons have a range of color and wing patterns, which are controlled by genetic factors.
• The wing patterns can be categorized into four main types: bar, barless, check, and t-check.
• A gene called NDP (Norrie Disease Protein) has been found to play a role in both pigeon wing patterns and human vision defects.
• Pigeon breeders have played a significant role in shaping pigeon diversity and have a good understanding of the basic genetics behind pigeon traits.

Pigeon Wing Patterns

One of the most intriguing aspects of pigeon genetics is the relationship between genes and wing patterns. Pigeons can have four different wing patterns: bar, barless, check, and t-check. The bar pattern is considered the wild type, as it was the pattern in the wild ancestor to domestic pigeons. The other patterns, barless, check, and t-check, are due to natural genetic variations that have been selected and propagated by breeders.

The inheritance of wing patterns in pigeons is controlled by multiple alleles. Four alleles are relevant in the case of pigeon wing pattern inheritance: bar, barless, t-check, and check. The dominant allele will be expressed in the phenotype, resulting in a specific wing pattern. For example, a bird with the bar allele will show the bar-wing pattern, regardless of whether it carries any other alleles.

The Role of Genetics in Pigeon Coloration

The coloration of pigeons is also influenced by genetic factors. Pigeons can exhibit a range of colors, such as white, black, blue, red, and many others. Different combinations of genes determine these color variations, leading to a wide variety of phenotypes. For example, a pigeon with a dominant gene for white feathers will have white feathers, even if it also carries genes for other colors.

Three alleles of a sex-linked gene control the color of pigeon feathers. These alleles determine whether the feathers will be blue, brown, or ash-red. Additionally, the spread allele causes color to be evenly distributed across the body. Pigeons with two copies of the spread allele are colored a uniform shade of red.

The NDP Gene and Its Role in Wing Patterns and Vision

A significant discovery in the study of pigeon genetics is the association between the NDP (Norrie Disease Protein) gene and both wing patterns and vision defects. Researchers have found that different versions of the NDP gene are linked to specific color patterns in pigeon wing feathers.

The NDP gene variations were likely bred into pigeons by humans from a different pigeon species. These variations are evolutionarily advantageous in feral pigeon populations living in urban environments. Notably, the same NDP mutation found in barless pigeons, which affects their pigmentation, is also found in two human families with hereditary blindness. This suggests that this part of the NDP gene is important in eye development.

The study of pigeon wing genetics and its connection to wing patterns and vision defects highlights the complex interplay between genes and phenotypes. Pigeon breeders have observed the relationship between wing patterns and vision problems in barless birds for many years, and now genetic research has provided insights into the underlying mechanisms.

Understanding the genetics behind pigeon color and wing patterns is not only intellectually stimulating but also has practical applications. This knowledge can be applied in breeding programs to select for desired traits and create new varieties of pigeons.