The Genetics of Coturnix japonica

I admit, I love genetics, but it can be a tricky conversation starter. In my most recently published book Coturnix Revolution, I describe many of these genes and how they came to be. Most of these genes are only part of a variety that we see. A combo of two or three genes can get us one beautiful bird. Coturnix are such valuable birds, it is important to see the beauty among them.

EXTENDED BROWN, E
Inherit: Autosomal Incomplete dominant
Linkage: Unknown
Characteristic: "this mutant color gene extends the distribution of black and dark brown pigment throughout the plumage. Both sexes appear the same"
Reference: Journal of Heredity, 1978 
Source: British Range. English White, and Tuxedo

RECESSIVE WHITE, wh
Inherit: Autosomal resessive
Linkage: Unknown
Characteristic: "This mutant color gene produces a white bird with dark eyes when homozygous and a two-color pattern known as "tuxedo" when heterozygous. The "tuxedo" pattern  is white on the ventral surface including the neck and face while the dorsal surface is an intermingling of black and brown pigment."
Reference: Journal of Heredity, 1978
Source: English White, Tuxedo, British Range (since British Range can be in tuxedo forms)

YELLOW, Y
Inherit: Autosomal Dominant
Linkage: Unknown
Characteristic: "This mutant color gene results  in the appearance of a rich, golden-wheat- straw colored bird. The general pigment distribution  is the same as in the "wild-type" Japanese Quail  except that the wheat-straw shafting of the back and hackle feathers is much wider and the wing bow and head feathers are also wheat straw yellow colored."
Reference: Japanese Journal of Zootechnical Science, 38: 163-166, 1967

Source: Manchurian Golden

DILUTE, al^D
Inherit: Sex-linked recessive; al^D, al
Linkage: Sex Chromosome
Characteristic: "This mutant pigmentation gene causes an overall reduction in pigmentation. The shanks are free of pigment, down is light in color as is the adult plumage. Eye color is NOT affected. It is also one of the alleles at the A1^+ locus."
Reference: Poultry science, 53:1908, 1974.

Source: Fawn/Cinnamon

IMPERFECT ALBINISM, a1
Inherit: Sex-linked recessive; al^D, al
Linkage: Sex Chromosome
Characteristic: " This pigmentation mutant results in subnormal levels of pigmentation of the eyes and feathers of affected birds. Faint stripes on the backs of the adults is apparently due to structural color only. Viability is reduced both before and after hatching in birds homozygous for this gene."
Reference: Journal of Heredity, 57: 119-124, 1966

RED HEAD
Inherit: Autosomal Recessive
Linkage: Unknown
Characteristic: "The underfluff of both sexes is smoky black, the base of the feathers are white with irregular bands of black and rust. Feathers are usually tipped in rust. The beak and shanks tend to be whitish color and eye color is unaffected. Females are generally lighter in color with the dorsal being darker. Breast is whitish with upper breast feathers tipped black and rust. Flanks and abdomen are white. Head is white with a black cap whose feathers are tipped with rust. Males are much darker overall. There is considerably more black in all feathers with darker rust tips. Breast tends to be light rust carried well down to the abdomen. Head is dark rust with a black cap or head streak.
Reference: Unpublished

RED
 
Linkage: Definitely not sex chromosome
Characteristic: Working on it
Reference: Unpublished
Source: Scarlet, Red Range

WHITE BEARD, bd^w  
Inherit: Autosomal recessive
Linkage: Unknown
Characteristic: "On brown feathered birds this trait appears as a small white beard-like patch of feathers under the lower beak in the interramal tract."
Reference: Canadian Journal of Genetics and Cytology, 1978
Source: Pharaoh (wild-type), Jumbo Brown varieties

WHITE-BREASTED, wb
Inherit: Autosomal recessive
Linkage: Unknown
Characteristic: "The dorsal plumage is similar to the wild-type pattern. White feathers cover the face to just above the eyes. the underside of the neck, the entire breast, and the sternum up to and including the vent area. The primary feathers down to most of the secondary feathers as well as their coverts are also white.
Reference: Canadian Journal of Genetics and Cytology, 1978

WHITE-CRESCENT, cr
Inherit: Autosomal recessive
Linkage: Unknown
Characteristic: "A crescent-shaped band of white feathers extends across the breast of the brown feathered birds. This band is located at the junction of the ventral cervical and the pectoral tracts."
Reference: Canadian Journal of Genetics and Cytology, 1978

WHITE PRIMARIES 
inherit: Autosomal recessive
Linkage: Unknown
Characteristic: Primary feathers are white on an other-wise colored bird.
Reference: Unpublished
Source: Pharaohs (wild-type)--> Shelleyd is exhibiting this in her stock

FAWN, Y^F
Inherit: Fawn (F) incompletely dominant to y+ and codominant to to yellow (homozygotes not lethal)

Homozygotes are cinnamon , heterozygotes are the fawn pigment...more to discuss.

BLEU, bl
Inherit: Recessive
Characteristic: This recessive mutation replaces the brown color of the wild-type with bluish grey an the cream-colored markings with white.
Reference: Perramon, 1988

RECESSIVE SILVER, rs
Inherit: Autosomal Recessive
Characteristic: Egg Production of homozygote females is affected. Need to pair up Homozygote males and heterozygous females to reproduce normally.
Reference: Watanabe an Homma (1982)