Cat Genetics for Writers & Artists part 1: Concepts & Terminology [CC]

Re-uploaded to correct a silly mistake! So sorry about that. I tend to write/record/edit these at fuck-o-clock AM and it sometimes leads to mistakes. It should be fine now! Hopefully. I'm crossing my fingers.
Welcome to a new series where I talk for ages about cat genetics!! These are going to be the Big Monthly Videos™️ until the series is over.
Terminology Google doc mentioned in the video: docs.google.co...
Comic sans is used to aid viewers w/Dyslexia, since this video is particularly text- & letter-heavy.
my patreon: / littlehungryw. .
my warriors tumblr: littlehungrywa......
ko-fi: ko-fi.com/elli...
00:00 - Intro
01:14 - "Particulate Inheritance"
02:13 - Ethics & the Genetic Code
04:47 - Chromosomes
06:36 - Mutations
07:53 - Alleles, Loci, & Zygosity
12:29 - Dominance
14:46 - Sex Linkage
15:25 - Punnett Squares (Single Locus)
19:18 - Punnett Squares (Multi-Loci)
23:24 - Monogenetic vs Polygenetic
26:21 - Non-genetic/Developmental Traits
26:41 - Epistasis
27:24 - Outro

[@TheAshfurApologist]

Making the cats in Warriors genetically accurate can actually have major implications to several important stories, most notably firestar and bramblestar, both characters are heavily defined by their appearance.

[@littlehungrywarrior]

indeed... we have to do some weird shit to goldenflower to make Brambleclaw brown lol

[@TheAshfurApologist]

@@littlehungrywarrior it be pretty hard wouldn't it, without some strange mutation or something, seems like realistic bramblestar would have been ginger. Firestar is worse though, considering the entire Prophecy revolves around his fur color.

[@littlehungrywarrior]

@@TheAshfurApologist actually Firestar's pretty easy! I just make him half-somali lol. Sandstorm's a fawn tabby, Squirrelflight got more rufousing genes & FS's 1 Ta allele :D

[@L-ghtlessSky]

warriors plays some wild shit with genetics how tf did leafpool go brown

[@TheAshfurApologist]

@@L-ghtlessSky leafpool is a brown tabby because of firestar's sister princess... at least that's the explanation I've gotten before by other fans, and as a kid, I actually thought it was true.

[@Bee8467]

I don’t really try making realistic cats but god i am so interested in this even though it’s a bit confusing

[@littlehungrywarrior]

I'm happy to answer questions! :D

[@Bee8467]

@@littlehungrywarrior got it! I don’t have any rn but if i have any i’ll ask!

[@saratanwir]

​@littlehungrywarrior okay I'm going to take you up on that offer 😆 I JUST discovered your videos and though (as a breeder who is very interested to learn cat genetics) it feels like I hit that cat genetic info jackpot .... I can't help but feel overwhelmed with this wealth of info. I slowed down your video and rewatched it to catch every word... but it's still very advanced for someone like me who has no science degree. Please make a simple breakdown of genetics and color coding for mainecoons? I would appreciate it SO MUCH! thank you regardless ❤

[@littlehungrywarrior]

@@saratanwir Sorry for delay in seeing this comment! I'm glad you're enjoying! And I'm sorry it's too complicated for you. I'm not sure how to break it down much more than this, but there are plenty of beginners' videos elsewhere. I recommend watching videos intended for kids - that's not an insult at all and there's NO shame in doing so. I needed Kids' Level intro videos for a lot of chemistry stuff when I entered college & when I was studying the immune system. It really helps; those educators know how to break things down to an even simpler level for people of all ages who are struggling. I want to help you - and everyone else who needs help - learn, but I'm not sure how to make the info provided in this video simpler than I have, so you're better off going to someone who is better at that than me first and then coming back once you have a solid foundation. That being said, the terminology document in the desc is worded as plainly/simply as I know how to do & might be easier to comprehend than a fast-moving video, and I'm happy to answer questions to the best of my ability if something specific is tripping you up. Maine Coons are considered "rainbow cats," meaning just about every single color/pattern is recognized as breed standard by official cat breed folks like the CFA. That means understanding Maine Coon color genes is more or less synonymous with understanding cat color genes in general :)

[@saratanwir]

@littlehungrywarrior I think that is awesome advice, and I will do exactly that! I'll try to find more beginner level videos and then return to these. I will be asking a lot of questions, and I do hope you see them when I post here 😊 thank you very much, and I really appreciate these videos that you are sharing 🥰

[@maya-jm4hf]

9:37 *pause* draw a pe-" THATS HOW YOU GET ME TO LEARN STUFF. LOVE IT

[@peppercrumble]

I think the timestamp is actually 18:38

[@celetial3287]

also tip for anyone who is confused: you can just search pretty much any of the vocabulary terms next to the words “amoeba sisters” for a more in depth explanation of it :)

[@littlehungrywarrior]

YOOOO HOW HAVE I NOT HEARD OF THESE GUYS THIS IS COOL

[@Foodonwalls]

My teachers in the past have shared them and I can confirm they're very useful to watch!

[@Gacha_Got_Arsorned]

Oh Im getting flashbacks to… earlier this year I guess? My bio teacher uses the amoeba sister videos CONSTANTLY, I can’t get away from them 😭

[@J4smlne]

Amoeba sisters is my bio teachers favorite lol

[@DaydreamingRatMan]

As a person entering the field of genetics for college (getting my minor in evolutionary sciences) this video was incredibly well made! I’m not an expert on cat genetics so i was planning on these just explaining what genes are dominate to others, how they present etc. I was shocked, and honestly so so happy you actually went into not only the foundations of genetics but the ETHICS behind it. In this field it’s so common for people to misuse and bastardize terminology in a way that promotes ableist and racist rhetoric. You did an absolutely phenomenal job in clearly and concisely putting these notions to rest. As a fellow warrior cats enthusiast and science enjoyer I seriously cannot thank you enough for making these. Also adding on here: The way you explained all the scientific stuff made me SO HAPPY. It was such a simple and clear understanding that i’m sure people who don’t have a genetics background could understand and follow along. I’m seriously obsessed with your video style

[@littlehungrywarrior]

OH WOW THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I'm glad I could do such a great & helpful job! And good luck with that degree

[@Gacha_Got_Arsorned]

Omg thank the algorithm I found this video. My friend got me into cat genetics because she always got mad that I made characters who were completely impossible. It’s been 4 years and I finally found someone who can actually explain it in a way I understand.

[@littlehungrywarrior]

I'm glad I could help! But your friend really shouldn't have gotten mad at you for that >:( there's nothing wrong with a bit of unrealistic fun. it's not like you're hurting anyone by being silly & creative with the colors.

[@Gacha_Got_Arsorned]

@@littlehungrywarrior it’s more she would always talk about how realistic her cats were and I felt guilty because mine weren’t. I still don’t think their realistic because my main oc is a clone of her father.

[@littlehungrywarrior]

@@Gacha_Got_Arsorned They don't have to be realistic :( realistic is a choice we make bc we find math & puzzles fun, not bc it's in any way ~better~. You do what you find fun.

[@joobletmaster5000]

This is fascinating and I would KILL to see more videos where people tie real academic fields in with fun stuff, even if that fun thing isn't something I know a lot about. If somebody took anatomy and biology and used it to explain....I dunno, figure skating and how the body moves to make those things possible, I'd watch it. So this is AMAZING.

[@littlehungrywarrior]

Oh there's a lot of those! I had a book as a kid that showed a cartoon of a skeleton & sometimes muscles doing various activities. they're fun!

[@Hope-ti3ts]

I got my paper out and starting taking notes all throughout the video. Back a year ago I had tried to learn this stuff for my biology class but little of it stuck, biology has always been my worst class, I’m always behind and it makes me feel stupid. This video explained it in a way I got and that had me really connecting to the material, thank you. I know you made it for Warrior Cats fan (which I am too), but it’s also very educational

[@littlehungrywarrior]

I'm so glad!!! Science should be accessible to everyone, i hate the way schools teach it lol. I'm glad you found something that helps you

[@brianandkatescott8019]

I am constantly torn between wanting to make a 100% genetically realistic cat with 100% genetically realistic parents and 100% genetically realistic kids, and the urge to make an all black cat with blue eyes just because it’s pretty

[@lindseylindsey9200]

Dominant blue eye genes, maybe? There are several different kinds from different parts of the world, although they are somewhat rare (and also kittens that are homozygous for it are stillborn because homozygosity for DBE causes skull deformations… not particularly relevant but uh, “fun” fact)

[@Marilynn_1275]

It's like Little Hungry Warrior said, do whatever you want! It's YOUR story and YOUR characters.

[@SleepySyd]

I know this a few months late but there's actually a gene that *can* cause blue eyes in black cats called the Ojos Azules gene but to my knowledge it's very rare edit: Ojos azules is actually a breed with DBE that, like the first reply said, sadly result in crainal defects

[@omgfiredragon]

I am so excited to have found this! Cat genetics explained by an actual biologist! I also really appreciate the disclaimer at the top of your video about all the ways genetics have been used to hurt people. Its an important topic.

[@PRINCETISTIC]

on one hand i love making fictional cats more complex/realistic than they need to be and on the other hand i'm striving to be a zoologist and understand animal genetics better so i love this video i'll probably have to watch it a million times over to get most of the info to actually stick because of my short attention span n whatnot but i will enjoy every single rewatch

[@simonepradhan5023]

I've come here as someone who's interested in genetics, so it's incredibly amusing to me that my teacher here is a digital artist with a fursona (no hate, I love cats!)

[@littlehungrywarrior]

Loooool, people contain multitudes! My mom's a vet tech cowgirl who occasionally designs hypothetical inventions. My brother's in business school but sometimes does foley work for movies & drove a truck professionally. My dad writes, edits, directs, and has won awards for all 3 - and he used to draw comics in school. People aren't locked into one type of guy: you can be whatever you wanna be, all at once!

[@honeybun_was_here687]

thank you for fueling my hyperfixation about genetics, your video was very easy to understand, definitely going to watch the rest of the series! :]

[@ettinakitten5047]

24:59 The kid who's more extreme than either parent on a gradient trait is especially likely if the parents have a lot of heterozygosity. For example, if someone with a lot of homozygous low-melanin alleles (say, someone who's ancestry was entirely northern European for many generations) has kids with someone with a lot of homozygous high-melanin alleles (say, someone who's ancestry was entirely sub-Saharan African for many generations), they'll probably get a lot of similar-looking intermediate kids who are heterozygous for the majority of melanin alleles. However if two half European/half African people had a child together, the high heterozygosity in both parents means that the kid could come out with a skin color anywhere between typical European to typical African, which includes many possibilities that are darker or lighter than both parents. There's some news stories out there about fraternal twins who "look like different races" - most are full siblings whose parents have a lot of heterozygosity on genes coding for skin color (and a few are maternal half-siblings whose fathers have different ethnic backgrounds).

[@Frostfern94]

My genetics come from Britain (85% nearly), primarily northern most Britain. The rest is Scandinavian and North Eastern European (like Russian), and Northern European. That is to say, I’m EXTREMELY European. Very European looking. I have hazel eyes and blonde hair, not blue eyes, no one in my family on either side really carries that gene (according to 23&me especially), but my Nan had a blue ring around both of her brown eyes. No clue where that came from, I don’t know if it’s genetic or not.

[@SafiraCoyfolf]

I absolutely LOVE genetics, it's so interesting. My interest in genetics started with the chao in 'Sonic Adventure' and 'Sonic Adventure 2', and then got sky rocketed by 'Niche: A Genetics Survival Game'.

[@TeresaAlexandraCosta]

This is a BRILLIANT explanation that can be useful for so much more beyond cats. I will give it to my students (usually science courses studying English) to help them both learn English while studying for classes! Thank you!

[@littlehungrywarrior]

Wow, it's such an honor to be shown in a real class! I wish you and your students the best of luck. Thanks so much for the kind comment!

[@CalicosCurse]

only really vaguely on topic due to 3:57. but after I started HRT my hair texture did change! had NO clue it would do that and it was pretty cool

[@readerdragon7783]

As a fellow biology/genetics nut, I absolutely LOVE this video. Time to binge the whole series!!

[@DNephi-xu7gx]

Fuck o clock am is such a relatable phrase. This is an excellent video! Thank you for making it

[@BlueFireSkies]

Thank you so much for making this. I've been incredibly interested in learning about genetics recently and this is incredibly helpful.

[@pamspray5254]

I- I stumbled across this from the dog video thinking about ways to improve how I communicate visuals to an audio-only audience for an online game I run. But, I remembered something I said to myself at the end of the last semester: "I'll study a bit of the classes I'm taking next fall ahead of time so it's less stressful." I happen to be taking genetics this fall. This may not be professional, but it's helpful to serve as a reminder for terminology and application, I think. Thanks for reminding me of that desire I had. Now to find something on Mammalogy and Freshwater Ecology for some light background research.

[@pamspray5254]

What's more wild is that I actually annotated a genome last semester. So I'm not exactly foreign to genetics. More just reaffirming it so I don't forget it. I annotated a genome. Yet I still haven't taken Modern Genetics.

[@thehissymissy7995]

I'd like to say that the goggle doc link isn't working- It says that the file does not exist??? Update: The goggle docs are working now!

[@littlehungrywarrior]

Thank you for bringing this to my attention! I think I fixed it, can you tell me if it's working now?

[@thehissymissy7995]

@@littlehungrywarrior Yes it is! Thank you for all your hard work on this video too!

[@littlehungrywarrior]

@@thehissymissy7995 I'm so glad!! Thank you, and thanks again for telling me about the link

[@mephitidaee]

Such an amazing video! I'm also a biology student and one of the things I enjoy the most is genetics...cat genetics (?

[@Hickorypaws]

honestly I went through the whole series and then watched this and it made so much more sense the series itself taught me the vocab lol

[@lunadreamystrz7875]

Videos like this are 10 times better without the grading and school aspect of it. Like this is perfect for my dumb fixation of cat genetics /vpos

[@freakivore]

Super comprehensive so far, I forgot most of the info from my one college genetics elective, but this was a great re-intro lol. Plus Punnet squares are always fun!

[@Frostfern94]

I’m so glad I started learning cat genetics for fun before it was taught in my schools because they made it SO BORING but I genuinely LOVE genetics. This is SUCH an interesting refresher and I’m so grateful to you for this. I accidentally watched the third video first but that was fine, I understood everything in there. I just wanted to watch in chronological order.

[@FireSystem9]

help this made me fall asleep not cause I was bored but because your voice is so soothing, you should make asmr

[@littlehungrywarrior]

Aw thank you!!!!!!

[@nomypfpisnotanimeitsffxiv3689]

Thank you SO MUCH for these videos. I'm binging them. 🥺💕

[@applekoi8639]

I just want to say, (as I’m binging this right now) thank you so very much for doing this! I have been looking for good ways to realistically figure out my cats’ genetics for my stories, and Barnes and nobles doesn’t exactly have any books on cat genetics. You are a godsend! Thank you!

[@InkSans_FandomSoda]

Hey, thank you so so much for making this whole series. Not only did you break things down in a way that was simple to understand, this specific third video also supplied a crash course on genetics that my own teachers like, impressed at you addressing nuances while keeping things straight forward. Wonderful work, I eagerly await the next release, have an absolutely wonderful day.

[@InkSans_FandomSoda]

FIRST first, I meant first video not third omg-

[@littlehungrywarrior]

Oh wow!! What a compliment, thanks so much!!

[@solarleaf2029]

What the hell made youtube think I wanted to learn about warrior cat genetics? Whatever line of code made the algorithm think this, thank you?!

[@an_apple_a_day]

This was fun, which is an accomplishment because biology lessons are very hit or miss for me :p

[@MinerKitten]

I've always wanted to get into genetics but I never had a reason to. I'm so glad I found this video series lol I love Warriors and I get to learn about a super interesting topic through it

[@lindseylindsey9200]

13:18 oh dear, who’s going to give the bad news to Stan and Ford Pines’ dad

[@stellarcookiereal]

OH GOD NO

[@everest5718]

Honestly this video was super interesting, especially since genetics in general have interested me. I have very blonde hair and grey eyes but both my parents are brunettes with brown eyes, along with my sister, so i was super curious at how that could happen when I was younger. Getting a more thorough explanation is just even more cool :D

[@Cheeseman0fficial]

I personally dont try to make my cats realistic, just that they look somewhat related. BUT I always think genetics in warrior cats is fun, even if the genetics hurt my brain.

[@dragonmoonwave]

When I do kitten looks based on genetics using punnet squares I use a random number generator to determine the pattern of the kits.

[@JackiMedia023]

im def subscribing, this was so entertaining and really fun! and ive never been so interested in something educational in my life,

[@Spikefeather]

I remember one time during 8th grade my science teacher had mentioned and showed us a video about genetics ONCE and I was SUPER excited to finally get on the topic of genetics since it's something i find so fascinating yet sometimes confusing, but it was stuff I already knew about, like the punnet square and the basics B, O, and A, and she never mentioned it again and i felt pretty bummed out, so I've taken it upon myself to figure out and learn about genetics, specifically cat genetics, just for fun!

[@littlehungrywarrior]

That's really sad :( excitement wasted yes but also genetics are like...extremely important basic education. she might as well have not taught you how to read. I'm glad I can help you learn here!

[@melinamast2936]

Im not an artist nor a writer but im loving this series

[@PriestessShizuka]

this is my new favorite video and playlist thank you so much i'm so obsessed with real life animal pattern genetics and there were some things in the video that i didn't know yet!!

[@crazy4schleich852]

I only know the basics of Cat genetics which I learned all because I wanted genetically accurate characters. I'm hoping that this series will help me understand what I'm doing better.

[@chloe2868]

There was an ad and i freaking hissed

[@chickennuggets753]

just starting to learn about genetics in science... this hurts my brain but honestly it's really cool and I want to draw accurate Warrior Cats

[@paws94]

I LOVE YOU FOR MAKING THIS UR A LIFESAVER I LOFE U SO MUCH PLATONIC

[@paws94]

my new hyperfixation is cat genes and im trying to undertsand but ur voice calms me down so its better

[@_thatonegoat_]

As someone who is in a lot of Horse Art RPGs and loves the genetic side of it its so cool to see the similarities in cats aswell. Like the agouti allele [saw it in your family tree video] and I'm quite curious in learning cat genetics aswell for some reason XD

[@rickries9388]

Niche really taught me about recessive genes soo.... thanks

[@callmetrigg5401]

Damn I learned the punnet square in 7th grade😵‍💫 im lucky I liked that class

[@catsarebetterthendogs5]

I’m in grade 7 and I want to be whatever major you are when I grow up!

[@littlehungrywarrior]

Aw thank you!! My major was evolution :) I also studied a wide variety of other biology fields while I was in school. You're gonna do great! School is tough but you're tougher. And don't let any teachers lie to you - college is WAY easier than middle & high school. well, maybe "easy" is the wrong word. it's more lenient, and it's more fun ;)

[@thewitchbasket]

Using this to help prep for my zoology class next semester 💅

[@carriioneater]

Good lord 5 seconds in and you immediately clocked why i'm here LMAO

[@Munchkin.Of.Pern09]

I’m also studying evolutionary biology lol! It’s part of my undergrad stream, along with ecology and behaviour.

[@cawareyoudoin7379]

I am not into Warrior Cats at all, but I am a biology student and am actually finding this really interesting and useful XD

[@kais3297]

im not planning on making cats nor am i in cat oc spaces NOR do i know anything about cat genetics but i love horse genetics so why not edit. ooh lp mentioned, its one of my current favorite genes (in theory, since irl its been connected to a type of blindness)

[@Scrambles-qk2un]

I was always a big biology nerd as a kid and excelled in these sorts of high school level bio talk but gotta say the "dominent genes are just the alleles with higher priority" is interesting to me because I always imagined it as like scribbling two colors of crayon on the same sheet of paper. Both colors are still there, but the black crayon is going to almost entirely hide the yellow crayon just because it's a darker color. Even if it was like, white being dominant over red or something I'd just imagine it like it was a specific kind of art supply that just worked that way. That misconception must have come from being taught about it via eye color and all sorts of bits where the dominant trait was the one with more pigment.

[@ichbinben.]

I know this is an old video, but I haven't found a correction in the comments, so here: The "homo" in "homo sapiens" doesn't mean "same", it means "man/human", it's where the French "homme" and Spanish "hombre" (edit: and also the word "human") come from. It's Latin, while the "homo" meaning "same" is Greek. "Homo sapiens" means something like "knowledgable man".

[@littlehungrywarrior]

Oh huh! the more you learn :O

[@Tururruuuuuuuuuuuuu]

I honestly never wanted or tried to make my cats genetically accurate lol, like, I have an oc named Storkflight who is a male tortoiseshell with brown parents, and I don't regret anything. I honestly just design my ocs however I want, honestly, but it's interesting to know how their genetics actually work :)

[@Tururruuuuuuuuuuuuu]

Oh and I'm glad it has English subtitles since I can read English but I can't understand the speech well because of the accent and such, so really, thanks

[@littlehungrywarrior]

@@Tururruuuuuuuuuuuuu No prob! I use subtitles too, it pisses me off when people don't add them

[@thefoxandthehound81]

thank you for making this!

[@cryptidnextdoor]

no because my biology teacher was so over it because he was close to retirement, and i (who was unreasonably excited for the genetics unit) was so disappointed when his teaching was… lackluster at best :/. this video was so fun, i took notes over the whole thing and will probably do so for the whole series!! i haven’t made a warriors oc in almost a decade but this is tempting me to make a whole line of realistic cats lmao. thanks for the video!!

[@littlehungrywarrior]

oh man I'm SO sorry that happened!! I know EXACTLY how you feel. My psychology professor knew he was going to be made a dean at the end of the year, so he just decided to throw a bunch of random projects at us that he'd "always wanted to do" but had nothing to do w/what we were learning, sometimes not psychology at all. I wish teachers cared more about teaching :\

[@jaciserigala1074]

A fair amount of the terms and concepts in this video were already familiar to me, actually. And, all this pre-existing knowledge came from my British secondary school biology course, and I would've learned all this in either 2015, 2016 or 2017. Interestingly, I knew the term "allele" going into this video, but when I started watching your channel, the term "locus" was entirely unfamiliar to me, there wasn't any kind of recognition even when you explained the definition, but I am also accounting for me just mis-remembering. But I _think_ I'm remembering correctly that we did not learn the term "locus", or if we did, it was sparingly. Instead, we pretty much used the term "allele" as a stand in for "gene" when we were learning. But the _actual_ meaning and intended use of dominant vs. recessive, basic Punnett square calculations and the experiment with the pea plants was all taught to us in those years. I have a fairly decent memory and I did very well in science in school, even though I've gone on to specialize in English instead, but it's curious to me that one half of the current terms was taught to us, whilst the other half wasn't, or it wasn't as prominently. I have no way of knowing, but I am curious about how genetic basics are being taught nowadays in secondary school biology, and I wonder if it has changed at all and is now including "locus" (if my memory is correct and it wasn't for me). Genetics is fascinating, I keep coming back to this video to refresh my memory for the terms specifically, but gosh it's really interesting and if I find the time I want to learn more. I am a ginger-haired person, with very pale skin, freckles, green eyes, the whole shebang, and the entire discussion surrounding melanin just made me curious about how that affects people like me, as in, I'm curious about how _few_ melanin proteins I have in me, since for the majority of my life, I have always been the palest person I've come across. And I'm also now wondering if there is a genetic link between people with ginger hair and people having green eyes, since that's a very common combination I see, in humans and cats. Thank you for making this series, I will be a frequent viewer as long as this current warriors fixation lasts!

[@rq1nzor]

watchin this for some reason, ive never drawn a cat in my entire life

[@jrrainbows2665]

you could always use sire and dam for mom and dad in these videos! they’re technically just words attached to the role the parent had in making the kittens, not actually gender-based terms. its like afab and amab afaik

[@littlehungrywarrior]

oh that's a good idea thank you :O

[@CatWithAHyperfixation]

YO I LOVE GENETICS !! THANKS SO MUCH

[@Mimikyu007]

The maths make it reaaaally confusing for me (I have dyscalculia) but I love genetics either way!

[@littlehungrywarrior]

I bet I can help make it a bit easier? Punnett squares are letter-based so hopefully filling them in isn't too difficult - sorry to hear if it is :( luckily you have all the time in the world to double-check them. As for the math part for the %s that come after - there's 4 squares. So, if there's 1 square with a/a, that's 1 out of 4 chance. If there's 2 squares with a/a, that's a 2 out of 4 chance. it doesn't need to get super complicated with lots of numbers and fancy equations - just simple counting on your fingers. does that help at all?

[@lynxietheroaha5240]

WAIT YOU CAN GET A DEGREE IN THOSE THINGS?!

[@littlehungrywarrior]

in what? Evolution? Absolutely!! who else do you think studies it? lol!

[@ettinakitten5047]

11:53 Chromosome anomalies are an exception to this rule. For example, people with Down Syndrome have three copies of all or part of chromosome 21. This means that for any gene with a locus on chromosome 21, someone with Down Syndrome will actually have three alleles instead of two at that locus. Conversely, people with Williams Syndrome are missing a part of chromosome 7 (specifically, the 7q11 region, which is right next to the attachment point where two chromosome 7s join up during cell division). So, for any gene locus present in that particular region of chromosome 7, people with Williams Syndrome have only one allele.

[@littlehungrywarrior]

Oh yes, karyotyping is very interesting! I didn't go into it bc it's not really relevant to the cat genes this series covers, but I do mention these types of mutations around 6:30 in the vid :)

[@flutterkitty53]

I love these videos so much! I’ve learned a lot from them 😊 my parents like them too

[@flutterkitty53]

Jeez I type like a bot 😮

[@bluecollarden]

I love this!!

[@isabelledeitz3644]

“Put a smiley face :-)….draw a pe-“ KILLED ME

[@userContent-Deleted]

do I know what warrior cats is? no. do I draw cats? …also no, but I still watched the entire video

[@GlowBean_Studios]

I have a question! Can a longhair dilute female torbie (Calico Tortie), & a shorthair white male cat with silver tabby patches, what do they create? I have 2 characters for my comic series (Named Momo & Kumo, Momo being a long hair male calico, & Kumo looking like his dad aka the white male cat with sliver tabby patches & also being shorthair) How do the genes work for Kumo & Momo, what would they actually look like?

[@littlehungrywarrior]

The answer varies a LOT depending on what they carry! I recc watching the series and trying to figure it out yourself :) I'm more here for specific questions, clarifications, double-checking... I can't make your ocs for you, that's your job!

[@RoxyTBDW]

I did a bit of digging, and I found that the light-switch gene in the genetic complexes (commonly known as the Locus Control Region) is called an Enhancer. I am in no way sure if this is true or not, but hope this helps!

[@littlehungrywarrior]

Enhancers are transcription factors within a locus rather than being a locus themself. They're only 50-100 basepairs long & let RNA bind to them for transcription purposes. They're in a similar category as, say, "stop" codons and exons. It would be small part of a specific allele which itself may or may not be a "lightswitch" gene, but the fact that its an enhancer alone wouldn't be what makes it activate expression of a complex. If anything, I'd think an enhancer would remove certain complex from expression, since a lot of KIT-region complexes have to do with something breaking rather than something working better...but that last one's just speculation and every gene is different. Similar thing, I can see how you'd get them mixed up, but different. Thanks for the effort tho!! TL;DR: a "lightswitch" allele is an entire allele that activates expression of a complex. An enhancer is a tiny part of potentially any allele that enhances transcription.

[@RoxyTBDW]

@@littlehungrywarrior Ohhh, thank you! This explained a lot, I'm very glad you explained it, this makes a lot more sense. I appreciate it :)

[@Marilynn_1275]

Quick question... Is it true that if one of the cats is all black, that they will have at least one (1) black kitten? Just curious.

[@littlehungrywarrior]

Not a guarantee, nope. it's up to the results of the punnett to determine probability; depending on the alleles of both parents, might even be a 0% chance

[@Marilynn_1275]

@@littlehungrywarrior Okay, thank you!

[@rhinobeetle11]

its 1am, what am I doing here

[@shadowblitzer3472]

I know exactly what you mean by that MGS reference I just like to think Liquid it stupit.

[@teazen_tea]

Can i consider this studying for my bio class?

[@Sparklewolfgirl67]

I watched BlueCollarDen’s videos on cat genetics, will this be different?

[@Sparklewolfgirl67]

Oh this is more in depth (good :3)

[@littlehungrywarrior]

@@Sparklewolfgirl67 Oh good! I haven't seen that one so idk anything about it lol.

[@candlegrave]

not an artist/writer or a warrior cats fan but a secret third thing (autistic)

[@shortea7892]

I love genetics and will now be able to understand how thunderstar came from two grey cats (one of which comes from a family of grey cats)

[@RoxyTBDW]

I have a question. What order are the loci written in on a genotype? Apologies if I'm using the wrong terminology, I can clarify if needed. I'm guessing it is written in this order: B Locus, O Locus, D Locus, A Locus, I Locus, Wb Locus, C Locus, W Locus? I'm going off of the order of your videos, but I just want to be sure. No need to feel bad if you don't get to my comment quickly!

[@littlehungrywarrior]

Good question! There's no "official" order. If you go to a lot of cat breeder websites, you'll notice some community patterns where people generally agree on what makes the most sense, but there's no real rules.

[@RoxyTBDW]

@@littlehungrywarrior Thank you, I'll probably go off of Sparrow's Garden for the order of very specific alleles. I'll have to see what's the most common

[@user-dt3hk7fu8w]

Genetics are so interesting

[@Jay_Bird123]

ooh this is so interesting!

[@lindseylindsey9200]

25:40 Idk, I think they’re all horses /j

[@alicepersson9568]

.... s--some people think dominant genes make you more dominant emotionally...?

[@littlehungrywarrior]

a LOT of people. it'd be funny if it wasn't really upsetting.

[@GodOfChicken]

Amazing!! Now do chicken genetics 🔫😔

[@littlehungrywarrior]

I'll add it to the list :3

[@Raven1Nevermore]

Yay!

[@lissyfeh4549]

😃

[@celestailthecosmosdragon430]

Data a lot of adds

[@ettinakitten5047]

6:03 I don't like using egg/sperm donor to describe situations other than intentionally conceiving a child with a prior agreement not to play a parental role, because I've run into far too many people who use donor as a derogatory term for parents who abandoned their kids or whose kids went no contact with them. As the mother of a donor-conceived child, I'm sick of people assuming I'm talking about a crappy ex when I mention her sperm donor, and I worry about the impact such assumptions will have on her once she's old enough to understand what people are assuming.

[@littlehungrywarrior]

Rest assured, I'm not using the terms with any derogatory meaning, and I hope that using those terms in non-derogatory ways will give them positive connotations over time. There's nothing wrong at all with being a donor, of course! Good luck to you and your kid

[@Frostfern94]

I never thought it was a derogatory term, I lack a lot of social skills though and tend to take things at face-value. I just thought it was factual. The words “dad” or “mom” is earned, not deserved. Though the term “father” is often used to mean some kind of parental figure, so it makes sense if they weren’t around and presumed no responsibility over the offspring at all, that would be a sperm-donor, albeit an unofficially sourced one. But I completely see your view now. I’ll be on the lookout for that in future! Thank you. (P.S. I’m a lesbian so the only way I’d be able to have my own biological child is with a sperm donor also, unless technology in the scientific field drastically improves in the next few years, which I hope it does)

[@foreverpainful]

THIS DOESNT HELP IM TOO STUPID TO REMEMBER WHAT EACH GENE MENS 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[@littlehungrywarrior]

stupidity is just willful ignorance. it's okay if it takes you longer to learn than others, or if you need to take a lot of notes & reference them frequently. but putting yourself down won't teach you anything, it won't help you study, it won't make you feel better, and it certainly won't make people who hear/see it comfortable. try the terminology document linked in desc if memory is your struggle.

[@foreverpainful]

@@littlehungrywarrior damn i need to start remembering that some creators actually see their comments...this was more of a joke- memory IS indeed what i struggle with- ive practiced making a "realistic" firestar and tigerstar family tree, and i "can" do it if im looking at spreadsheets really hard, but theres no chance in hell i could do it independently where i currently stand. thank you so much for your input, genuinely. i need to stop beating myself up, like ive only been trying to study this for a few months putting it down and picking it up whenever im frustrated. sometimes it can be hard to discern between what is outside the current realm of possibilities as i grow as an artist, and what is just my learned helplessness as a self taught artist. youre right, i *can* do this, thank you. you've pushed me to keep working on my warrior cat oc story that i've been developing since i was 13.

[@littlehungrywarrior]

@@foreverpainful you don't need to do it independently :) it's okay if you'll always need help. I check my own notes all the time. I asked my genetics professor when in his PhD process he memorized all the codons & what they do, and he just laughed; no one does that. everyone checks their notes. everyone uses a calculator. everyone googles. I'm glad my reply was a wake-up call for ya. remember: putting yourself down does nothing but make yourself and the people around you sad. instead, find what the problem actually IS and then find an actionable solution (even if, and esp if, it's a workaround or an accommodation). otherwise you're just shooting yourself in the foot for no reason & no gain. good luck :) (I'm a self-taught artist too btw)

[@joobletmaster5000]

Oh hey, actually, I'd like to briefly point something out. Afab and amab are both social terms. I understand it is genuinely quite difficult to figure out a way to phrase these things correctly because gender and sex are both such blurred lines. I would highly recommend using terms that are more rooted in your field to discuss these things, such as "In most people we would class as biologically female/male," or even just simply using the terms female and male frankly in a scientific sense. Nobody would blame you because those words are not typically used socially except by incels.

[@littlehungrywarrior]

I appreciate the input! however I have a lot of trans friends who prefer to use male/female as gender terms & wouldn't be comfortable with me using them in this way, even in a scientific context. I need to find better terms than amab/afab since that has to do with the doctor assigning a birth gender & not necessarily with genitalia, but the best ive been able to find is "XY" and "XX" and well...I can't use those when I have to explain what they mean. if you have other suggestions, I'm open.

[@_Lyricris_]

@@littlehungrywarriorYou might also just be able to talk about it in terms of the gamete type and not refer back to the donors, like "the egg from x color cat has these alleles" sort of thing?

[@littlehungrywarrior]

@@_Lyricris_ I do when I can, but that often makes the sentence unwieldy and run-on

[@_Lyricris_]

@@littlehungrywarrior I guess that makes sense, i was just thinking that if you don't want to just say the genotype, like when it's sex chromosome related, since the only distinguishing factor is the sex chromosomes it's best to just focus on the result they have rather than the reproductive organs of the cat yknow? The cat in question has those chromosomes and we don't need to worry about what that makes them is how i see it. I'd say just use x and y then honestly, since you gotta explain what they are for the calico information anyways

[@_Lyricris_]

@@littlehungrywarrior Also thanks for the quick response oh my goodness! It's nice to see a creator so engaged with the community! =D

[@PenneyLan]

Thanks for making this! I needed this for an assignment but also half because I find it super interesting

[@littlehungrywarrior]

I hope it helped!

[@PenneyLan]

@@littlehungrywarrior it did :)