Description:
Andalusian is a gene that dilutes the color of the quail to a light grey in heterozygous form. In homozygous form, the bird will be a light cream, almost white color. In heterozygous form, it looks very similar to silver, and blau, with white wingtips, except that there will be small patches of undiluted feathers across the body. The intensity of the grey varies, with some birds being almost plain wildtype, and some being a very complete grey (4). The gene is partially lethal, causing most of the cream-colored chicks to die before hatching and those that do hatch rarely survive to adulthood. Laboratories have been able to raise homozygous Andalusian to maturity and get the birds to reproduce, though this is very rare and birds will still often have defects like curled toes (4).
Andalusian was likely discovered in a Japanese lab in 1973 in a Japanese lab, and simply called "white" due to the light homozygous form that was partially lethal (1). In 1983, an "autosomal dilute" mutation was proposed by Mitzutani with a description that matches Andalusian (2). It was later confirmed that "white" and "autosomal dilute" were the same gene (3). In 2008, a study was released that showed pictures of this "white" that argued with was a grey color in heterozygous form, with patches of color, and in homozygous form was actually cream (4). This is believed to be the origin of the Andalusian gene that made its way through the Schofield Silver Collection and is currently in public hands. No formal tests have been done to confirm the gene is separate from silver outside of the visual inspection.
Schofield Silver was a collection of several mutations blended together to create a grey colored bird that would breed relatively true without many health issues. This mixture included Andalusian, Silver, Blue, as well as possibly Lavender, White Bib, Crescent, and other genes. Andalusian has since been isolated out of SSC in the United States and abroad.
Breeding with Andalusian:
Andalusian x Andalusian = 25% Pharaoh, 50% Andalusian, 25% Dead in Shell
Andalusian x Pharoah = 50% Andalusian, 50% Pharoah (Typical breeding)
For more information about breeding with this kind of gene, please see here.
References & Further Reading
Wakasugi N, Kondo K. Breeding methods for maintenance of mutant genes and establishment of strains in the Japanese quail. Jikken Dobutsu. 1973;22 Suppl(0):151-9. PMID: 4807722.
TRUAX, R. E., & JOHNSON, W. A. (1979). Genetics of Plumage Color Mutants in Japanese Quail. Poultry Science, 58(1), 1–9. doi:10.3382/ps.0580001
Cheng, K. M. "Mutations and major variants in Japanese quail." Poultry breeding and genetics (1990): 333-362.
Tsudzuki, Masaoki. "Mutations of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) and recent advances of molecular genetics for this species." The journal of poultry science 45.3 (2008): 159-179.
Minvielle, F., Bed'Hom, B., Coville, J. L., Ito, S. I., Inoue-Murayama, M., & Gourichon, D. (2010). The" silver" Japanese quail and the MITF gene: causal mutation, associated traits and homology with the" blue" chicken plumage. Bmc Genetics, 11, 1-7.
Steingrímsson, E., Moore, K., Lamoreux, M. et al. Molecular basis of mouse microphthalmia (mi) mutations helps explain their developmental and phenotypic consequences. Nat Genet 8, 256–263 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1194-256
Araki, M., Yamao, M., & Tsudzuki, M. (1998). Early embryonic interaction of retinal pigment epithelium and mesenchymal tissue induces conversion of pigment epithelium to neural retinal fate in the silver mutation of the Japanese quail. Development, growth & differentiation, 40(2), 167-176.
Gallery of Images
