Meet Yana. She might look like she’s had a dye job. But genetics is responsible for this cuddly kitty’s unusual looks.
DNA, the molecule that carries genetic information, is packed into structures called chromosomes within an animal’s cells. Mammals inherit one set from each parent. Chromosomes determine an animal’s gender. Males have one X chromosome and one Y, while females have two X’s.
One of the genes that influences a cat’s fur color is on the X chromosome. Because females have two X chromosomes, they can have two different genes coding for fur color. But cells need only one X chromosome, so they inactivate, or turn off, the other one, says Leslie Lyons, an expert in cat genetics at the University of Missouri.
Yana’s patchwork pattern most likely comes from different X chromosomes being switched off in different parts of her body. “This happens in people too,” says Lyons. But usually it’s not visible. Cats like Yana can show off this genetic phenomenon in living color.