Subject: Re: orioles/genetics
Date: May 4 08:17:22 1995
From: Harriet Whitehead - whitehea at wsunix.wsu.edu


Teresa,
Thanks for that very helpful post on Sex-Linked, Sex-Limited, and
Sex-Influenced. Your first example, sex-linked, in which you speculated
that the male chromosome might carry a recessive plumage gene and the
female a dominant different plumage gene might well fit the Eclectus
Parrot found in New Guinea and Australia. In this species, both sexes are
equally gaudy and appear so as they fledge (not after puberty as far as I
know), but the plumage colors and even patterning are quite different.
The female is exclusively red and blue, with no tail band and a deep bib,
the male is predominantly green, but with blue primaries and a red
underwing, and a yellow tail band. Obviously a while suite of genes
involved here. Bill color and eye color is different too. Casual observers
would be unlikely to realize they are simply male and female of the same
species.


Harriet Whitehead
Anthropology WSU