Scientists reveal how tabby cats get their signature stripes

As anyone with a cat can tell you, felines don’t easily share their secrets. But a new study, published Tuesday in the scientific journal Nature Communications, delves into a long-standing cat mystery: How exactly do the genes of a tabby cat make these striking stripe patterns in its fur?

“Tabby” is not a breed; it is a distinct fur pattern common in cats. Tabby cats often have what looks like an “M” letter on their foreheads, as well as bold stripes of various patterns in their fur. Tabbies have also made their mark in pop culture. Morris the 9Lives cat food mascot is an orange tabby, as are cartoon cats Garfield and Heathcliff.

In the new study, conducted by scientists affiliated with Alabama’s HudsonAlpha Institute of Biotechnology and Stanford University School of Medicine, 200 litters of non-viable embryos were examined, exploring the mystery of the how patterns emerge in a developing cat.

“We think this is really the first glimpse into what molecules (involved in pattern development) might be like,” Dr. Gregory S. Barsh, one of the report’s authors, told The New York Times.

The study found that differences in the expression of the embryo’s genes determined the colors they would later produce as the hair follicles grew. Seemingly identical cat skin cells can acquire different genetic signatures which later result in the cat’s complex fur patterns. The same could be true for big wild cats, such as leopards and tigers.

The new research has determined that a gene known as Dickkopf 4 (Dkk4) is vital for the process. Some cats, such as the elegant Abyssinian, wear what is called a check mark pattern, where instead of stripes the cat may look like a tabby in some areas, but have smaller markings resembling spots. The study shows that this happens when the Dkk4 gene is mutated in these cats.

This may all sound like more than you wanted to know about your favorite feline, but the study notes that “understanding the basis of the animal color pattern is a matter of long-standing interest in developmental and evolutionary biology. “.