Evidence of selection on the orange allele in the domestic cat Felis catus: the role of social structure

Various ecological conditions encountered by cats have important effects on their spatial and social organization. Our interest was focused on the relationships between genetic structure of populations, and their social structure and mating behaviour. A survey of allele frequencies at seven coat-col...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Oikos 1995-09, Vol.73 (3), p.299-308
Main Authors: Pontier, D, Rioux, N, Heizmann, A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age structure
Alleles
Animal genetics
ANIMAL POPULATION
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
CATS
CHAT
COLOR
COLOUR
COMPORTAMIENTO SEXUAL
COMPORTAMIENTO SOCIAL
COMPORTEMENT SEXUEL
COMPORTEMENT SOCIAL
COULEUR
Ecological genetics
Felis catus
FRANCE
FRANCIA
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
GATO
GENE
Gene frequency
GENES
Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution
HAIR
Mating behavior
PELO
PESO
POBLACION ANIMAL
POIDS
POILS
POPULATION ANIMALE
Population genetics
Population genetics, reproduction patterns
Rural populations
SELECCION
SELECTION
SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR
SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
Urban populations
Vertebrata
WEIGHT
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Summary:Various ecological conditions encountered by cats have important effects on their spatial and social organization. Our interest was focused on the relationships between genetic structure of populations, and their social structure and mating behaviour. A survey of allele frequencies at seven coat-colour loci in rural and urban populations of domestic cats in France confirmed the rural-urban cline for the Orange locus. The frequencies of the Orange allele were high in rural habitats, which were characterized by low densities (between 140 to 230 individuals per km2), and a polygynous mating system. Low frequencies of the Orange allele were found in urban populations, which had high densities (1300 cats per km2) and a promiscuous mating system. Orange males were heavier than non-Orange males, whereas Orange females were lighter than non-Orange females. Due to the importance of body weight in life-history traits variability, we hypothesize that reproductive tactics may differ between individuals according to Orange genotype. This may explain why the Orange allele does not reach frequencies as high as those of non-agouti and blotched tabby alleles, which are more recent coat colour mutations.
ISSN:0030-1299
1600-0706
DOI:10.2307/3545954