Rufism
Rufism (from Latin rufus = reddish brown, red-haired; English: rufous = fox red) is a term in hereditary biology that is also used specifically in cat breeding .
history
Rufism was also called flavism , isabellism or chlorochroism at the beginning of organized cat breeding at the end of the 19th century . The term Rufism was coined in 1937 by William F. Reinig (1904–1980).
Originally it was a general term for gene effects that lead to the fading of the red pigment into a yellow, yellow-orange, light pink, light brown. Many genes in cats contribute to the deviations ( polygeny ). Pathogenetically, it is a failure in the area of the chromogen pigment, not the chromogen formation itself (no tyrosinase blockade, albinism ). A spectrum of yellow colorations is shown phenotypically. It could be clarified that oligogenic effects can also be differentiated in this polygenic complex.
Breeding importance
After these effects were discovered, the unidentified “remainder” of the genes involved was called the Rufus system. It is to be expected that further Rufus genes will be discovered upon exact surveys. Rufism, i.e. the yellow or brown hue of silver varieties, is undesirable within cat breeding. Since the red color is more intense and darker in red and brindle cats, rufism is welcome there.
Individual evidence
- ^ William F. Reinig: Melanism, Albinism and Rufinism. A contribution to the problem of the origin and meaning of animal colorations; with 27 figs. (Problems of theoretical and applied genetics and their border areas; Vol. 2). Thieme Verlag, Leipzig 1927.
- ↑ http://www.wcf-online.de/WCF-DE/standard/lexikon.html#R