Orange cats have lived among us, boldly wreaking havoc with a level of confident stupidity that inspires both affection and bewilderment.
  • Zachariah@lemmy.world
    44·
    5 days ago

    Lead author Chris Kaelin explained that orange cats produce more of an orange/red pigment called pheomelanin than they do a black/brown pigment called eumelanin, which isn’t too dissimilar from redheaded humans.

    While human gingers owe their color to changes in the MC1R gene, the orange cat mutation is located in one gene called Arhgap36. The scientists say that the protein produced by this gene disrupts the biological pathway that determines a cat’s coat color, effectively shutting down eumelanin production and letting orange pigment take over.

    As for why most orange cats are dudes, that has everything to do with a cat’s X chromosome. Males only get one, so if that X carries the mutation, it’s a ginger. Females, having two Xs, need both to be mutated to go full orange.

  • ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org
    1026·
    5 days ago

    Orange cats have lived among us, boldly wreaking havoc with a level of confident stupidity that inspires both affection and bewilderment.

    When I read “inspires affection” is when I realized this wasn’t about Donald Trump.

    • Ech@lemm.eeEnglish
      36·
      5 days ago

      I recommend living your life without that man infecting every facet of it. It’s an article about cats. Just let it be about cats.

        • the_crotch@sh.itjust.works
          41·
          3 days ago

          It didn’t land because a lot of people are sick of politics being crowbarred into every single conversation regardless of the topic.

          Also, there’s a million legitimate criticisms to make about trump. HURR DURR HIS SKIN COLOR is lazy and has been beaten to death.