Re: [PER] throw away breed Exotic Long Hair prevented from breeding to persian male inCFA

Recessive genes really do tend to last forever. While the LH Gene is apparently dominant, there are other genes that the Exotics have that are not present in the Persian lines (acquired from the Burmese and other shorthair breeds).

Consider sickle cell anemia. This is a recessive genetic disease that originated in Africa. However, people who are visually Caucasian sometimes have this disease. How can they if they are not African American in appearance? That is because GENES are not always what you SEE.

A blue-eyed, blonde-haired, fair-skinned "Caucasian" can actually have a mixed race ancestry and you can't tell by looking. It's only the genes that tell the real story - and even that is hard.

The cat genome has NOT been fully mapped - not nearly as well researched as the human genome. They have only found certain "markers" - maybe 1% of the total genome - that they use to "differentiate" the breeds. Are Exotics and Persians more closely related than Persians and Siamese? Of course, that is a given. But are they the same? Absolutely NOT.

The longer we keep the breeds separate, the greater the level of purity.

If you understand basic evolution, then you understand the concept of "speciation" - one species becomes two after a long time of genetic drift (and usually some environmental factors that separate two groups of the same species). While "Breeds" will probably never reach that level, they can move farther and farther away from each other through genetic drift and selection.

If Exotics were no longer allowed to breed to Persians, then they would grow more and more genetically distinct from Persians with each passing generation. Why do they need Persians anymore, anyway? They claim their LH Zots are better than Persians, then why breed to sub-standard cats? Now they can get titles on their LH Variants in all registries - and the gene pool is certainly large enough that they do not need the outcross blood.

--Carissa

--- In Persian-Fanciers@yahoogroups.com, Klaus and Lisa Jackson <akaranapersians@...> wrote:
>
>
> Of course they would not use American Shorthair in Britain.
>
> I guess you did not get my point, so by your own admittance if the three cats never produce a shorthair, once again, you have a cat that looks like a persian, breeds like a persian and beats persians in the show ring at times.
>
> Other things you and your purist buds can do
> - show a "pure persian" and a ELH to 10 CFA judges, let them tell you which one is which
> - tell me a genetic test that will distinguish one from the other
>
> If the purists want the ELH to be removed from championship status, then all CPCs have to go too, as they are truely "bastard cats".
>
> I have made my points and the discussion is really fruitless to carry on further.
>
> KAH
>
>

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