Cloned cat

[Urban Ranger]

link

COLLEGE STATION (Texas) - Rainbow the cat is a typical calico with splotches of brown, tan and gold on white. Her clone, cc (for carbon copy), has a striped grey coat over white.
They have an identical DNA code, but different coat markings distinguish the original Rainbow (left) and her clone cc as their bodies use the same genes differently. -- AP

Rainbow is reserved while cc is curious and playful. Rainbow is chunky; cc is sleek.

The Humane Society might be inclined to say: I told you so. But then, so would cc's creators at Texas A&M University.

Sure, you can clone your favourite cat. But the copy will not necessarily act or even look like the original.

Interesting. Where did the variation come from?

Correction of the article - the kitty is called Copycat, not Carbon Copy.

[KrazyHorse]

Probably due to genetic damage in transfer of nucleus, and in environmental factors (mainly in utero?)

[KrazyHorse]

IIRC, fur markings are like fingerprints; not predetermined by genetics, but instead due to a stochastic growth process. The general pattern is probably similar, but the exact pattern would be different each time you ran the cat through the mill...

[lightblue]

Yes it is like fingerprints. It is determined by which cell goes where at the very early stages, and is determined by outside factors.

I wonder if you implanted a clone of Carbon Copy back into the same cat that beared CC you would get the same pattern tho..

[Urban Ranger]

Cool

Learn something new everyday. It's interesting too how fingerprint becomes fixed after birth. Somehow the outside influences became "etched" into person.

[Skanky Burns]

Learn something new everyday.

Indeed.

[Skanky Burns]

And aren't they cute!

[Az]

they're adorable.

all things posted are very correct. it seems that the shapes and the locations of the spots are not genetic, much like the retinae, and fingerprints.

[loinburger]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Learn something new everyday.

Good thing I'm not the only intellectual here -- things were starting to get lonely at the latte bar, and this damned beret itches something fierce.

[Lancer]

They now believe there was a fly in the transfer chamber...

[Winston]

Copycat thread.

[Skanky Burns]

Three in a row, all funny!

[DaShi]

Haven't we seen this before? I remember there being a picture of the kitten in the mug.

Anyway, temperature often plays the most significant role in determining the color patterning on many furred animals.

[Andrew1999]

Here's the original picture that everyone went crazy over:


With calicos you get a different pattern every time.

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Andrew1999

With calicos you get a different pattern every time.

Make for good betting games.