Genetics Decoded

Information

For the full up to date guide please follow this link. The guide moved to allow for expansion/updating of the guide as the word limit was reached too quickly with the first and comments were already in place. :)
This guide may not be kept up to date but all discussions/questions/comments can take place here.

Words To Know

Phenotype - Observable (seen) characteristics or traits
Dominant - Expressed in the phenotype over recessive
Recessive - Expressed only when inherited from both parents (Masked if dominant allele is present)
Heterozygous - Having one dominant and one recessive gene
Homozygous - Having two of the same genes (both dominant/both recessive)
Incomplete Dominant - The expressed trait is a combination of the phenotype of both alleles.

EE - Black(Dominant) and Red Pigments

E - dominant and produces both black and red pigments.
Colors produced can include: Black, blue, bay, buckskin, grullo, brown
e - produces red pigment only. If recessive ee...
Colors produced can include: chestnut, red dun, palomino, liver chestnut, cremello

AA - Bay (Dominant)

A - dominant, restricts black pigment
a - non-bay, fully black

                A+ (wild bay) - Masks all (reduces black points)
		AA (classic) - Masks a and t
		At (brown) - masks a (heavy black remains on body)
		aa (black) - masked by all above

CC - Cream (Cr) and Pearl (Prl)

Dilution genes that are more noticeable on red pigment.
            C cr - Cream (Incomplete Dominant)
When heterozygous, pigment become paler/more yellow. 
		Red → palomino
		Bay → buckskin
		Black → smokey
When homozygous, pigment is greatly reduced/soft cream throughout with blue eyes. 
		Red → cremello
		Bay →  perlino
		Black →  smokey cream

             C prl - Pearl (Recessive)
When heterozygous it is not noticeable phenotypically (carried only)

When homozygous both red and black pigments are diluted.
The coat develops a metallic sheen.
Blue eyes turn green instead. 

**Pseudo Double Cream** - If carrying one copy of cream and one copy 
of pearl (CCr/CPrl) horses will look like a darker version of homozygous cream horses.

DD - Dun (Dominant)

D - dun
d - no dun
Dilution gene that affects both red and black by diluting the base body coat. A dun horse will always have a dorsal stripe with darker legs +/- horizontal striping. They may have a darker mane, tail, face, and ear tips. Other mottling or smokey marks may appear.

GG - Gray (Dominant gene that, if present, will express over other colors)

G - gray
g - no gray

Causing a gradual fading of color/removal of pigment - these horses often turn white over time.

FF - Flaxen (recessive)

F - no flaxen
f - flaxen

Flaxen is a recessive gene that requires homozygous ff to express and only shows on red based horses.

SS - Sooty (Incomplete dominant)

Affects both red and black pigments.
S - no sooty - bright form
S sty - darkens coat, homozygous causes more darkening than heterozygous. May add dapples.
S+ - sooty plus adds the most darkening, homozygous causes more darkening than heterozygous. May add dapples.

**DP - Dense Pheomelanin (Incomplete dominant)** - affects the red pigment only and makes it darker. This is a hidden gene that cannot be tested for. The color liver happens when there are at least 3 darkening genes present.

PP - Pangere (Dominant)

P - pangere
p - no pangere

Pangere lightens the pigment in specific areas (muzzle, flanks, +/- legs) and only affects red pigment to any significant amount.

ZZ - Silver (Dominant)

Z - silver
z - no silver

Silver only needs one copy to express. Causes the mane and tail to lighten and dilutes the body, may also cause dapples. Silver only alters black pigmented horses (EE/Ee) and has no effect on red horses (ee).

ChCh - Champagne (Dominant)

Ch - champagne
ch - no champagne

A dilution gene that lightens the base coat color and always expresses if there is one copy of Ch.

	Classic - uniform black horses dilutes to classic champagne
	Gold - chestnut base dilutes to gold (usually flaxen mane/tail) 
	Amber - bay dilutes to amber
	Sable - brown dilutes to sable

SaSa - Satin (Recessive)

Sasa - does not show with one copy of sa, carrier only
sasa - satin
Satin causes light to refract differently off the hair causing a satin sheen.

KitKit - Tobiano/Roan/White spotting

The Kit genes encompass quite a few different phenotypes please use the search horses function for more examples.

Kit to - tobiano (4 white legs + rounded white spots on body)
Kit r - roan (even mixture of white and pigmented hairs)
Kit w - white 1 (large amounts of white)
Kit w2 - white 2 (large amounts of white)
Kit w3 - white 3 (mottled white)
Kit w8 - white 8 (mottled white)
Kit w10 - white 10 (mottled white splash look)
Kit w20 - white 20 (modifier gene - increases white and can change patterns when paired with some other genes)
Kit m - white M (large ‘spots’ of color on a mostly white body)
Kit sb1 - sabino 1 (irregular white body patches when heterozygous, all white if homozygous)
Kit sb2 - sabino 2 (irregular white patches)
**KP - Kit Promoter (recessive) - a hidden related gene that must have 2 KIT (any mutation) and 2 recessive KP to express.**

SpSp - Splash

Adds white splash (dipped in white look with varying amounts of white)
Sp s - splash
Sp s3 - splash 3 (rarely available in the GMT lab)
Sp M - macchiato (fantasy gene)

PAX3PAX3 - Splash 2

PAX3 C70Y - splash 2, available in the GMT lab, adds white.

LL - Appaloosa

L lp - Expresses appaloosa. If homozygous guaranteed to throw appaloosa foals.
**SF - Snowflake (recessive) - a hidden related gene that requires at least 1 Lp and 2 recessive SF to express.**

ECA3P - Blanket/Leopard

ECA3P PATN1 - heavily promotes white blanket markings. Homozygous PATN1 usually have very large blankets and may be full leopards. Needs appaloosa gene (L lp) to express.

RbRb - Rabicano

Rb - Will express if one copy of Rb causing white hair along the tail head and flanks often forming distinct stripes. The mode of inheritance is not well understood.

OO - Frame

Olw - Modifier gene that causes pigment loss that produces white markings. This can work with other genes to modify white patterns.
If homozygous (OlwOlw) causes a lethal white overo (fatal foal).
**The exception to this rule are the Rank Special Freaky Friday horses obtained through the herd helper who are homozygous for frame.**

GP - Gulastra Plume (recessive)

**Causes pigment loss in the tail and occasionally the mane. Must have at least 1 E (black) and at least 1 A (bay) A+/A/At.**

WF - White Factor

The more white spotting mutations a horse has the less pigment that pushes against the white areas. In real life this is controlled by a complex combination of genes. In the game, it is currently simplified to a numerical value of None, Minimal, Light, Medium, Large, or Extensive.