Supposedly, albino Moose are rare. So how rare is this?

You mean two at once? Not the same as two independent rare events. In other words, finding two in close proximity is not "twice" (that's not the right way to do the math, but it illustrates the point), as "rare" as finding one.

In Alaska, it is illegal to shoot an albino OR PIEBALD moose.

Because it is a genetically based, albinism is often present in higher numbers in localized populations. Such is the case here with what might be an albino cow and calf or two albino calves. The gene for albinism is "recessive", meaning that BOTH the male and female have to have the gene in order for it to manifest. Furthermore, once ONE albino animal is present in the gene pool, the they ALWAYS pass on the gene to their offspring.

Let me briefly introduce some genetic terms. I do this because this is actually pretty simple, and might clarify a number of things about animal coloration.

Genes are given names when it is figured out WHAT they "do". Keeping it simple, let's say that the gene that determines an animal's color is designated "C". If the animal is without color - albino - the genetic designation would be LITTLE "c". Since the gene for albinism is "recessive", it means that BOTH parents HAVE to have AT LEAST on "c" in their genetic makeup. In other words, if an offspring gets a BIG "C" from one parent and a LITTLE "c" from the other parent, the offspring will have NORMAL COLORATION.

If an animal got BOTH Cs OR BOTH cs from its parents, it is called HOMOZYGOUS. Meaning ONE zygomatic TYPE.
If the animal got ONE C and one c from its parents, it is called HETEROZYGOUS. Meaning "mixed" zygomatic TYPE.

Each parent contributes ONE gene, generating the genetic PAIR of a viable, (living), offspring. Again, because albinism is "recessive", the animal MUST be HOMOZYGOUS for albinism, or in this case "cc".

As you can see, if a cc parent mates, they HAVE to 'pass on' the GENE for albinism even though their offspring may be normally colored. They offspring MUST be AT LEAST heterozygous for albinism. If their mate is heterozygous for albinism - Cc - then there is a 1 in 2 chance that the offspring will be homozygous for albinism (cc). Here's how that works.

All the ways that a CC (HOMOZYGOUS 'normal') can mate with a cc (HOMOZYGOUS albino). (I made one C yellow and one c red in order to show the process.)

Cxc = Normal coloration
Cxc = Normal color
Cxc= Normal color
Cxc= Normal color.

You can see that it is impossible for a HOMOZYGOUS normal and an albino (HOMOZYGOUS albino) to have anything but normal offspring. HOWEVER, how about when a HETEROZYGOUS normal (Cc) mates with another HETEROZYGOUS normal (Cc)? (Remember that the hetero albino will have NORMAL coloration.)

CxC = HOMOZYGOUS normal.
cxC = Heterozygous normal.
Cxc = Heterozygous normal.
cxc = HOMOZYGOUS ALBINO A one-in-four chance (25%) for albinism when two HETEROzygous animals mate.

And that's how you get an albino offspring from two "normal" parents. There's one more possible mating pair - Heterozygous NORMAL (Cc) with HOMOzygous albino (cc).

Cxc = Normal
cxc = ALBINO
Cxc = Normal
cxc = ALBINO

Now you can see if a "NORMAL" but HETEROzygous animal mates with an ALBINO (HOMOzygous) animal, the probability of an albino offspring is one-out-of-two, or 50%.

Of course, if two albino (homozygous) animals mate, the offspring CAN ONLY BE homozygous for albinism - AKA "albinos".

So much for Genetics 101. The above is the THEORY, and in the VAST majority of characteristics in which we 'know' the genes are either recessive or dominant, the above math "works". While ne'er-do-well scientists want "you" to believe that it "works" ALL THE TIME, because it's "science" or "math" - "it" doesn't. Very little of LIFE is absolutely "black and white". This is the problem with the religion of science. Religions HAVE to be ABSOLUTE. LIFE is almost never absolute. When low-life, egomaniacs try to make Science into religion, they run into the fundamental problem of reconciling the ABSOLUTES of religion, and the REALITY of LIFE. Of course that doesn't stop them from LYING.

Paul

Very interesting. Thanks for the class.

Mixed up background. .......Paul H

Never seen one but now seen two!

"Piebald" is not "partially" albino. Maybe I should clarify the difference between albino and "white".

"Albino" is the ABSENCE of ALL color pigments. True albinism is detectable by looking at the eyes. If the irises are PINK, without ANY color, (the pink seen is the blood in the veins of the iris), the animal is "albino". If the animal is white, but has colored irises, then it is NOT albino, it is simply "white".

Piebald animals are WHITE animals, NOT "partially" albino. (Genetically speaking, an animal can't be "part" recessive gene.) Instead, they are simply partially "white" - like a pinto horse or many kinds of dogs. The vast majority white dogs (and ALL white BREEDS) are NOT albino. They are just "white". Piebald wild deer - like the fawns in the above picture - are "pintos", not partially albino.

Cool picture!

Paul

PS - "Piebaldness" is HIGHLY variable in manifestation. It can range from a tiny white spot to COMPLETELY white. This is because it is NOT "A" gene that can be recessive or dominant. Rather, piebaldness is just one of the 'zillion' COLOR VARIATIONS "available". By the way - melanism - the OPPOSITE of albinism - IS a genetic trait like albinism and is the same recessive that albinism is. ALSO true is "black" - as the other end of the COLOR spectrum from "white". In other words, an animal can be black and not be MELANISTIC the same as an animal can be white and not be albino. Unfortunately, melanism doesn't have an easy 'test' - the "pink" eye - like albinism has. One has to look VERY closely at the irises and other structures - like toenails and hooves - to detect true melanism.

Paul

My daughter when she was in 4H did her last major project on the genetics of Paint Horses and what it takes to consistently produced "colored" piebald/paint foals.
She became interested in it when we bought a "breeding stock Paint" mare.  That's a mare that carries the recessive gene, but doesn't have multi-coloration.  Bred with the right stud, she will consistently throw colored foals.


A "Paint" is a recognized breed in the horse world, and is basically a "Pinto" purebred Quarter Horse.

As Paul says, the amount of white:color ratio isn't what matters, the fact that there's any white at all does.  We had one "roan" paint whose claim to being a roan was a spot under his mane about the size of the head on an 8 penny nail.  A roan horse is one with white and colored hairs intermingled, rather than in large patches.

 We also had at one point a Paint colt with an "Apron Face."  That is one with a large white patch that extends beyond its eye on only one side.  On the side the white encompasses the eye, that eye is usually blue rather than brown.


 A "Tobiano" paint's white does not go over the horse's back. and an "Overo" paint's does.
And in all cases, the coloring is actually in the skin, not just in the hair.

 The horse world is rather snooty 'bout this though, as a white "blaze" on the horse's face, or white "star" on its chest doesn't mean it carries the pinto/paint/piebald gene.

There can be "odd" colors in most any species I suppose. In my life I have seen several "oddly" colored animals. As recently as last fall there was a young deer in the back yard with all four feet white. The back feet looked like white socks. The front looked like low top shoes. Redneck I suppose. Back around 1959 or 1960 I saw a black & white groundhog. At first I thought it was a skunk. Took a minute to realize it was a groundhog & shot it. It dropped back in the den & I laid my gun down & tried twisting a stick in it's hair & pulling it out. It worked but it wasn't dead. Chased me all over half an acre before I could grab my gun & kill it. .......There was an albino buck in this area back in the mid 1970's when I moved here. I can't remember the old fellow's name that owned it. When he died the deer went to one of my friends house that owned goats. It ate with his goats till it wandered onto the interstate highway & was killed by a car a year or so later. ......In 1955 while in Panama I saw a black jaguar near the Panama Canal. I'm not sure which one of us were the most terrified on seeing each other at close range. ......Back in the mid 1960's a neighbor killed an albino groundhog. Pink eyes, nose & feet. A few years ago we had a multi colored fox squirrel that hung around here two or three years. Looked something like a calico cat. There was also the black coyote & other odd  varmints. .......Rick, I didn't mean to hijack your thread. I apologize for tat if I did. ......Paul H

Are you kidding? That post of yours is stupendous! Thanks for sharing.