Color Genetics
The colors of Icelandic sheep are inherited in a similar way to those of other sheep, but they display more variety in color and pattern than most other breeds, and there are some variations not seen in other sheep. Each sheep carries three genes that affect the color of the sheep, and for each gene, there are dominant and recessive alleles. Each lamb will receive one allele from each parent of each of the genes shown below.
| Locus | Gene name | Dominant alleles | Recessive alleles |
|---|---|---|---|
| B | Base Color | black | brown (moorit) |
| A (agouti gene) | Pattern | white (gray, badgerface, mouflon) | (gray, badgerface, mouflon) solid |
| S | Spotting | no spotting | spotting |
Read more about this topic: Icelandic Sheep
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