No one else has reported inbreeding in Western lowland gorillas, Marques-Bonet told LiveScience, though some other gorilla subspecies with small populations have been known to turn to family to mate. They found that 12 percent of the genes from Snowflake's mom and pop matched, a number that points to an uncle and niece mating as the most likely parentage for Snowflake. Next, the researchers combed through Snowflake's genome looking for stretches of DNA that were identical due to inbreeding. The gene has previously been linked to albinism in mice, horses, chickens and a species of fish. Snowflake inherited a mutant form of this gene from both of his parents. Comparing that sequence with those of humans and nonalbino gorillas, Marques-Bonet and his colleagues narrowed down the cause of Snowflake's albinism to a single gene, known as SLC45A2. Using frozen blood from Snowflake, researchers led by Tomas Marques-Bonet of the Institut de Biologia Evolutiva at the University of Pompeu Fabra sequenced the entire genome of the late ape. People with albinism are at high risk for vision problems and skin cancers because of this missing pigment. In humans, four genetic mutations are known to cause albinism, a syndrome marked by a lack of skin, eye and hair pigment. Now, Spanish researchers have sequenced the gorilla's entire genome, revealing that Snowflake was probably the offspring of a pairing between an uncle and a niece. As the only known white gorilla in the world, Snowflake was a zoo celebrity until his death of skin cancer in 2003.Ī few studies had attempted to get to the bottom of what caused Snowflake's color-free complexion, but the exact genetic mutation had never been found. He was born in the wild and captured in 1966 by villagers in Equatorial Guinea. Snowflake was a male Western lowland gorilla. Although there are challenges associated with living with albinism, many people enjoy successful careers and lead full lives without any major limitations due to their condition.A famous albino gorilla that lived for 40 years at the Barcelona Zoo got its white coloring by way of inbreeding, new research shows. There is no cure for albinism but there are treatments available to help manage symptoms such as vision aids like glasses or contact lenses sunscreen and protective clothing hearing aids speech therapy occupational therapy psychological counseling surgery for crossed eyes (strabismus) and medications for skin conditions such as vitiligo (loss of pigmentation). Other physical characteristics associated with albinism include thinning scalp hair, pale eyelashes and eyebrows, and unusually shaped teeth. People with albinism may also experience hearing loss due to underdeveloped middle ear structures. Albinism can cause vision problems such as nearsightedness or astigmatism due to the lack of pigment in the eyes which can lead to sensitivity to bright light or glare. It affects people of all races and ethnicities equally. Albinism is caused by mutations in genes that control the production of melanin. People with albinism have little to no melanin in their bodies, resulting in white or light-colored skin, hair and eyes. A young albino Opossum peering out of a basket at London Zoo, October 1920 (b / w photo)ġ220081 A young albino Opossum peering out of a basket at London Zoo, October 1920 (b/w photo) by Bond, Frederick William (1887-1942)Īll Professionally Made to Order for Quick ShippingĪlbinism is a rare genetic disorder that affects the production of melanin, a pigment responsible for skin, hair and eye color.
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