Phenotype: The Armor gene affects the development of lateral plates in drakes.
All drakes have a series of five lateral plates extending ventrally from the spine, following the ribs.
In drakes homozygous for the presumptive wild-type allele A1, all five lateral plates are ossified.
Other genotypes bearing the A2 and a alleles have an altered number of ossified lateral plates.
Ossified lateral plates are first lost posteriorly: A1/a and A2/A2 both have three ossified lateral plates, the most anterior;
A2/a has one ossified lateral plate, the most anterior.
Lateral plates that are lost are present in vestigial form as cartilage that is not externally visible.
 |
 |
A1/A1
or A1/A2 |
A1/a
or A2/A2 |
 |
 |
| A2/a |
a/a |
Phenotype Terms:
integument phenotype
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