Albino Question

[Spark]

Just a couple of questions about albinos. Is the albino phenotype a simple recessive trait? If so, would breeding two homozygous (well, obviously homozygous) albinos always get you albino phenotypes with the same genetics as the parents?

 

[paulh]

Traits are what you see. Only genes can be classed as dominant or recessive.

There are three albino mutant genes in leopard geckos (Tremper albino, Bell albino, Rainwater or Las Vegas albino). They produce similar but not necessarily identical phenotypes. All three mutant genes are recessives.

If you mate Tremper albino to Tremper albino, all the babies are Tremper albino. Mate Bell albino to Bell albino, all the babies are Bell albino. Mate Rainwater albino to Rainwater albino, all the babies are Rainwater albino.

If you mate Tremper albino to Bell albino, all the babies look normal and are double hets -- they have a Tremper albino mutant gene paired with a normal gene and a Bell albino mutant gene paired with a normal gene. Normal-looking double hets are produced when mating Tremper albino to Rainwater albino and Bell albino to Rainwater albino, too.