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(02-14-2022, 10:35 PM)Tr1x24 Wrote: With Lambile also having that "skinny" condition/health problem like his Nharu brothers Scar and Limper, i wonder if that has something to do with genetics..
We dont know about 2 Nharu brothers who disappeared in Kruger, but out of remaining 4 we know, only Skorro Jr. appears full healthy.
I’ve had this same theory / concern. As if there was some sort of genetic or nutritional indeficiency of those cubs. But I can’t quite nail that down because the females littermates DO NOT suffer this loss of condition. Unless it became exasperated by the stress of ‘nomadic’ life somehow. But then again, Lambile was never quite a nomad. It’s very mysterious to me. How so many of them suffer from maintaining condition.
Could be always something linked to Y chromozome pair like daltonism or hemophilia in humans.
I know hemophilia is linked to the X chromosome for sure, not the Y. I'm thinking that some of the female pride members could be carriers, passing down their affected X chromosome to their sons (50% chance). On the other hand, it could be Y related, but the sons of Sizanani are definitely much more affected and sickly looking. Sizanani never started to get too skinny except after an alleged hunting accident, when he was already slightly past his prime. Whatever the case is, it's definitely one where the breeding fitness went downhill. Males in their prime are not supposed to be wasting away, not being able to put on weight, even after reg. meals.
It is located on the XY chromosome pair, ie the part where the allele is, is on the X, but not the Y. I.e. in females if there is the recessive faulty one on one of them, as long as it is overruled by the dominant "normal" one on the other it does not express itself. In males however there is not such second X and thus the genetic information is applied and the gene expresses itself. Similarly a lot of colour variation are like that, in cats and numerous birds in aviculture like budgerigars (however the Z and W genes in birds are switched in birds and males are ZZ similar like females are XX in mammals instead and femals are ZW like males are XY in mammals).
If it is passed down by a male (Sizanani being the suspect) than it would have to at least co-dominant and not recessive. Or perhaps it is recessive and only one of the Thanda Impis has it as well as some females. But then, why it does gt expressed only in males than and does it? Could be more complex, multi-allele thing or it is not genetic at all and this sample if individual is just a noticeable concidence or envormentally driven.
Anyway Manyeleti is not in the best shape regard diversity of the gene pool there, however I am not sure how much Sizanani in particular was related to prides there, rather Birmingham pride and Matimba males genes are going on there. And it is likely to get worse for a while, until some numerous coalition moves on and reshuffle things.