![]() This can be caused by several different factors, including exposure to certain chemicals or radiation.Īlbinism is relatively rare in the animal kingdom, but some interesting examples exist of albino animals. In albino animals, there is a reduction in the amount of melanin produced. Melanin is a pigment that gives color to the skin, fur, and eyes. The cause of albinism is a mutation in the genes that produce melanin. However, albinism is also relatively common in North America and Europe. They are most commonly seen in Africa, where they make up a small percentage of the animal population. This can result in animals with white or pale-colored fur, but they will usually still have some coloration in their eyes.Īlbino animals are found all over the world, in every climate and habitat. This is when there is a reduction in all types of pigmentation, not just melanin. There are several different types of albinism, but the most common form is called leucism. Because they have no pigment in their bodies, albinos are very sensitive to sunlight and can be easily burned. Albino animals usually have white fur or hair, and their eyes may be pink or red. ![]() This can occur in any part of the body, but it is most often seen in the eyes, skin, and fur. "Snowflake was the conjunction of two very rare events.Photo: Thorsten Spoerlein via Getty ImagesĪlbino animals are characterized by their lack of pigmentation. "This explains why only one albino western lowland gorilla has ever been found," Marques-Bonet told National Geographic. ( Get a genetics overview.)īoth the mutant gene and the inbreeding are rare occurrences for western lowland gorillas, and the combination that produced Snowflake isn't likely to happen again anytime soon. One of Snowflake's ancestors was likely the original carrier.īecause his parents were related-an uncle and a niece by the researchers' guess-their DNA contained some of the same genes, one of which happened to be the rare albinism mutation. The albino mutation is recessive, Marques-Bonet explained, meaning it becomes visible only if both parents pass the mutation on to a child. Second, and possibly more important, the scientists found that Snowflake was the result of inbreeding-an unusual practice for his species-which was likely the reason for the gorilla's unique coloration, according to the study, published May 31 in BMC Genomics. ( See more pictures of albino animals.)įirst, the scientists pinpointed the exact genetic cause of Snowflake's albinism-a gene known as SCL45A2, which had previously been reported in albino mice, horses, and chickens, said study leader Tomas Marques-Bonet. An animal that does not produce melanin, resulting in little or no color in the skin, hair, and eyes, is considered an albino. In a new study, they announced a twofold discovery about Snowflake's genes that may help scientists understand how he became the only known albino of his species. Since then, scientists at Barcelona's Institut de Biologia Evolutiva at the University of Pompeu Fabra have been studying Snowflake's frozen blood and using it to sequence his genome. In 1966 he was taken to the Barcelona Zoo in Barcelona, Spain, where he lived until his death from skin cancer in 2003. Snowflake, a western lowland gorilla, was born in the wild in Equatorial Guinea (map). Now the late ape is making headlines again over the recent postmortem discovery that he was inbred. ![]() Snowflake the gorilla gained notoriety for being the only known albino of his species.
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