Morph - (short for genetic Polymorphism) occurs when two or more clearly different phenotypes (visual mutation) exist in the same population of a species from which the genetic make-up (genotype) determines the outcome.
Homozygote - (homozygous) a diploid organism is one that has pairs of chromosomes with genes for the same characteristic at the same or corresponding loci, usually one from each parent. Breeding organisms are always homozygous for the traits that are held constant.
Het - (short for Heterozygote or Heterozygous) when an animal possesses two different alleles of a gene at the same or corresponding loci. If a trait in question is dominant, a het will express (visually) only the trait coded by the dominant allele and the trait coded by the recessive allele will not be expressed visually, yet can be passed on to offspring.
Mutation - changes in the genomic sequence or DNA coding which results in a visible characteristic or homozygous phenotype, usually recessive.
Codominant - (Supergenes) this is where the Leatherbacks & Dunners fit in
There are lots of articles explaining genetics that refer to dominant and recessive genes, genotype or phenotype, even homozygous and heterozygous, but what comes out of all that when you start mixing hypos, trans, hets and what not? Lets make a simple chart so we don't have to do the Punnett square for all of them.
Normal - a dragon with no recessive traits such as hypomelanism or translucent.
Hypo - a dragon that visually displays the hypo trait or is homozygous for hypomelansim, characterized by a mutation that results in an absence or reduction of any dark or black/brown pigments in the skin cells, usually very light with clear nails or brighter and more vivid when deeply colored, also can occur in varying degrees.
Trans - a dragon that visually displays the trans trait or is homozygous for translucent, visually characterized by a mutation that causes absence of the opaque or white pigment within the skin cells and eyes, also occurs in varying degrees.
Hypo Trans - a dragon that visually displays both traits or is homozygous for hypomelanism and translucent
Het Hypo - a normal looking dragon that is recessive or heterozygous for hypomelanism
Het Trans - a normal looking dragon that is recessive or heterozygous for translucent
Double Het - a normal looking dragon that is recessive or heterozygous for both hypomelanism and translucent
Hypo Het Trans - a dragon that is homozygous for hypomelanism but heterozygous for translucent
Trans Het Hypo - a dragon that is homozygous for translucent but heterozygous for hypomelansm
So what happens when you start breeding the different phenotypes and genotypes?
(percentages are only approximate and never guaranteed)
Normal x Normal = 100% Visual Normal (phenotype & genotype)
Hypo x Hypo = 100% Visual Hypos (phenotype & genotype)
Trans x Trans = 100% Visual Trans (phenotype & genotype)
Normal x Hypo = 100% Visual Normal (phenotype) Het Hypo (genotype)
Normal x Trans = 100% Visual Normal (phenotype) Het Trans (genotype)
Normal x Hypo Trans = 100% Visual Normal (phenotype) 100% Double Heterozygous for Hypo & Trans (genotype)
Hypo x Trans = 100% Visual Normal (phenotype) Double Het Hypo & Trans (genotype)
Hypo het Trans x Trans = 50% Visual Normal (phenotype) het Trans (genotype) 50% Visual Trans (phenotype) het Hypo (genotype)
Trans het Hypo x Hypo = 50% Visual Normal (phenotype) het Hypo (genotype) 50% Visual Hypo (phenotype) het Trans (genotype)
Hypo het Trans x Trans het Hypo = 25% Hypo Trans (phenotype & genotype) 25% Hypo (phenotype) het Trans (genotype) 25% Trans (phenotype) het Hypo (genotype) 25% Normal (phenotype) Double het Hypo & Trans (genotype)
Normal x Normal het Hypo = 50% Visual Normal (phenotype & genotype) 50% Visual Normal (phenotype) het Hypo (genotype)
Normal x Normal het Trans = 50% Visual Normal (phenotype & genotype) 50% Visual Normal (phenotype) het Hypo (genotype)
Normal het Hypo x Normal het Hypo = 75% Normal (phenotype) of which 33% are Normal (phenotype & genotype) and 66% are het Hypo (genotype) 25% Visual Hypo (phenotype & genotype)
Normal het Trans x Normal het Trans = 75% Normal (phenotype) of which 33% are Normal (phenotype & genotype) and 66% are het Trans (genotype) 25% Visual Trans (phenotype & genotype)
Normal het Hypo x Normal het Trans = 100% Visual Normal (phenotype) of which 25% are het Hypo (genotype) and 25% are het Trans (genotype) and 25% are double het for Hypo & Trans (genotype)
Hypo het Trans x Hypo het Trans = 100% Visual Hypo (phenotype) of which 25% are Visual Hypo & Trans (phenotype) and of the remaining 75%, 66% are Visual Hypo (phenotype) het Trans (genotype) or 50% of the total.
Trans het Hypo x Trans het Hypo = 100% Visual Trans (phenotype) of which 25% are Visual Hypo & Trans (phenotype) and of the remaining 75%, 66% are Visual Trans (phenotype) het Hypo (genotype) or 50% of the total.
Normal Double Het x Hypo het Trans = 50% Normal het Hypo 50% Visual Hypo (phenotype) of which 25% either Normal or Hypo will also be Trans and of the remaining 75%, 66% will be het for Trans.
Normal Double Het x Trans het Hypo = 50% Normal het Trans 50% Visual Trans (phenotype) of which either Normal or Trans will also be Hypo and of the remaining 75%, 66% will be het for Hypo.
In bearded dragons there are also proven Genetic Tigers and Genetic Patternless (whitblits or silverbacks)
