GENETIC MODELS FOR THE INHERITANCE OF THE SILVER COLOR MUTATION OF FOXES

We consider genetic models for the inheritance of the particular colou r patterns of silver foxes. The models are evaluated by computation of statistical likelihoods based on observations of related foxes in ext ended pedigrees. Problems caused by incomplete paternity information a re addressed by inferences based on phenotypic observations. The unrel iability of subjective evaluations of fur colour also provides difficu lty, in particular crossfoxes emerge as being difficult to differentia te. No evidence of linkage between Agouti locus and Extension locus is found in this dataset.