If these traits are passed from mother to doughter why would this affect males? Seems like the only marriagges we should disallow are marriages between dughters of sisters.

Writing in regards to mitochondrial inheritance only, as I understand it, mitochondrial DNA is passed by the mother to all of her children, male and female. Only the daughters, however, can pass the mitochondrial DNA on; the males cannot. Nevertheless, it is possible for a male and a female who share the same matrilineal great, great, great, great, great (etc.) grandmother, but descended through different matrilineal lines, i.e., through different daughters of the original matriarch, to have the same mitochondrial DNA. But, as I mentioned earlier, mutation would become more and more evident as the generations progressed.

Apropos: if I’m not mistaken, recent research into the pace of mutation in mitochondrial DNA, by testing a broad cross-section of humans, indicates that there was a dramatic decrease in the world population of Homo sapiens, at some point in the not-too-distant evolutionary past, from millions, down to a few thousand (or perhaps less than a thousand – I’d have to look it up). I’m probably wrong, but I think the research indicates that the decrease happened around 65,000 years ago.


genetics texts in 1967 that showed white and black guinea pigs having different combinations of white and black babies. Later I bred angora rabbits and realized how many colours hide behind dominant black and albinism. Those damn guinea pigs lied!

Hello, Elizabeth, and welcome!

If I recall correctly, the recessive gene traits account for your “in living color” bunnies.