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Quiz about Dog Coat Color Genetics
Quiz about Dog Coat Color Genetics

Dog Coat Color Genetics Trivia Quiz


This quiz includes questions on basic dog coat color genetics. A general understanding of Mendelian genetics may be required for some questions.

A multiple-choice quiz by GioSheltie. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
GioSheltie
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
249,304
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Very Difficult
Avg Score
3 / 10
Plays
2566
Last 3 plays: gogetem (6/10), Guest 64 (9/10), camhammer (2/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. What are the two types of pigment capable of being produced by melanocytes (pigment cells)? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. What locus is primarily responsible for the solid yellow/red or brown/black color of breeds such as the Labrador Retriever? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The Agouti locus is responsible for many coat patterns. Which of the following is NOT due to Agouti? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Merle, a pattern recognizable by a mottling of darkly and dilutely pigmented patches, must be inherited in what form in order to manifest? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. The solid black phenotype can be caused by two different loci: Agouti and Extension. Which dog breed is black due to Agouti? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Dogs can be pale in coat color due to several genes. The most commonly suspected loci are Dilute and Progressive Grey. Which dog is grey/blue due to the Dilute locus? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. You have two purebred dogs, one black Labrador Retriever and one blue Weimaraner. The Labrador retriever is homozygous for black and the Weimaraner is homozygous for dilute. What color of puppies could you get if you mated the two dogs together? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. A yellow Labrador Retriever is born from two brown parents. What color will its nose leather be? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Some dog breeds are "fixed" at a particular locus. That is to say, they can only have one certain allele at a locus, as the other options are not present in the breed. Which of the following is a true example of a trait fixed in a breed? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Dalmatians most commonly have black spots, but other colors appear. Which is the only other color accepted by Kennel Clubs in both the USA and UK? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 12 2024 : gogetem: 6/10
Mar 11 2024 : Guest 64: 9/10
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Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. What are the two types of pigment capable of being produced by melanocytes (pigment cells)?

Answer: eumelanin and phaeomelanin

Eumelanin is black pigment that can appear as black, brown or grey. Phaeomelanin is red pigment that can appear as yellow, orange, tan, or red. White is not a pigment, but a lack of pigment.
2. What locus is primarily responsible for the solid yellow/red or brown/black color of breeds such as the Labrador Retriever?

Answer: Extension locus

The genotype at the Extension locus determines whether a dog is solid colored (either red/yellow or brown/black) or whether the Agouti locus can dictate coat color. If the dog is E or EM at the Extension locus the dog will either be black, or Agouti will cause various coat color patterns. If the dog is e/e at Extension, phaeomelanin will be produced resulting in a red/yellow coat color with no presence of black or brown.
3. The Agouti locus is responsible for many coat patterns. Which of the following is NOT due to Agouti?

Answer: spotted

Various Agouti alleles are responsible for sable/fawn/tipped, banded, black and tan, and recessive black coat colors.
4. Merle, a pattern recognizable by a mottling of darkly and dilutely pigmented patches, must be inherited in what form in order to manifest?

Answer: heterozygous

Homozygous recessive (m/m) dogs are deeply pigmented. Heterozygous (M/m) dogs exhibit the merle phenotype. Momozygous dominant (M/M) dogs, also called Double Merle, are mostly white and have a higher incidence of congenital hearing and vision defects.
5. The solid black phenotype can be caused by two different loci: Agouti and Extension. Which dog breed is black due to Agouti?

Answer: Shetland Sheepdog

Most herding breeds exhibit a black coat color due to the Agouti locus. When the recessive allele of Agouti is inherited homozygously, a solid black coat color is produced. The other breeds listed are black due to the dominant allele at the Extension locus in conjunction with the K gene, of which little is known at present.
6. Dogs can be pale in coat color due to several genes. The most commonly suspected loci are Dilute and Progressive Grey. Which dog is grey/blue due to the Dilute locus?

Answer: a blue Doberman Pinscher

The Old English Sheepdog, Kerry Blue Terrier, and Bedlington Terrier develop their light grey or blue color with age. They are all born dark in color, either black or dark grey, and change to a lighter grey or blue after they are a few years old. A blue Doberman Pinscher is born blue and does not change color over time.
7. You have two purebred dogs, one black Labrador Retriever and one blue Weimaraner. The Labrador retriever is homozygous for black and the Weimaraner is homozygous for dilute. What color of puppies could you get if you mated the two dogs together?

Answer: only black

Black is a dominant trait and the black Labrador Retriever is homozygous, meaning that he can only pass on the dominant black allele. The Weimaraner is homozygous for dilute, and dilute is a recessive trait, so she can only pass on the allele for dilute. Purebred Labrador Retrievers do not have the dilute allele, so the Labrador Retriever is not able to pass along dilute to any of his pups.

It is only possible for the pups to be black.
8. A yellow Labrador Retriever is born from two brown parents. What color will its nose leather be?

Answer: brown

The Brown locus determines whether a black dog appears as black or as brown. The dominant allele results in black pigment and homozygous recessive inheritance results in brown pigment. If the yellow Labrador is born from two brown Labradors, it can only inherit a recessive form of the Brown locus from each.

The Brown locus also affects the nose leather, so a dog that is homozygous recessive at Brown will have a brown nose.
9. Some dog breeds are "fixed" at a particular locus. That is to say, they can only have one certain allele at a locus, as the other options are not present in the breed. Which of the following is a true example of a trait fixed in a breed?

Answer: Weimaraner fixed at dilute

All Weimaraners are fixed at dilute, that is to say, they are all d/d at the Dilution locus.

Collies can be sable, black and tan, or recessive black, in addition to various spotting patterns and merling.

Greyhounds can exhibit nearly all coat color options, including brindle.
10. Dalmatians most commonly have black spots, but other colors appear. Which is the only other color accepted by Kennel Clubs in both the USA and UK?

Answer: liver

All the options listed can appear, but only black and liver (brown) are acceptable for showing. Blue actually refers to gray spots, rather than blue, but is standard terminology. Sometimes Dalmatians will have a mix of spots, e.g. black and brown on the same dog, but this also does not meet breed standards.
Source: Author GioSheltie

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