The (Rn) gene acts on the base coat by distributing white hairs throughout the body, giving it a roan appearance. The head and legs retain the original base color tones. This coat is based on Black.
Typical Genetic Formula
E/_ a/a Rn/n
Possible Genotype Variations
E/e a/a Rn/n
E/e a/a Rn/Rn
E/E a/a Rn/n
E/E a/a Rn/Rn
The Genetic Basis
For a horse to be born Roan Black, it must receive the following combination from its parents:
- Its ability to express or produce black pigment indicates it received the dominant E allele from at least one parent.
- To be visually black, it needed to inherit the absence of Agouti (a) from both sire and dam.
- Since the Roan gene is dominant, at least one parent was necessarily Roan (Rn).
Understanding the Alleles
The horse Roan Black has a specific combination of alleles. Below, we explain each genetic component that forms this coat:
- a/a (Non-Agouti): Allows black to spread over the entire body when combined with E. In e/e animals it is invisible but still passed on.
- Rn/ (Roan): aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
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