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Geneticists Discover Orange Coat Mutation in Male Cats

10/20/2025

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Summary

Story summary

In 2025, Chris Kaelin, a geneticist at Stanford Medicine, and his team identified a deletion on the X chromosome that activates the Arhgap36 gene in pigment cells, driving the orange coat color in domestic cats.
The mutation alters melanin production, and the trait is predominantly observed in male cats.
The mutation dates back to early feline domestication.
The findings were published in Current Biology.

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Story summary

In 2025, Chris Kaelin, a geneticist at Stanford Medicine, and his team identified a deletion on the X chromosome that activates the Arhgap36 gene in pigment cells, driving the orange coat color in domestic cats.
The mutation alters melanin production, and the trait is predominantly observed in male cats.
The mutation dates back to early feline domestication.
The findings were published in Current Biology.