Black rabbits on Lundy: Tudor treasures or post-war phonies?

Article


Timmermans, M., Elmi, H. and Kett, S. 2018. Black rabbits on Lundy: Tudor treasures or post-war phonies? Journal of the Lundy Field Society. 6, pp. 105-113.
TypeArticle
TitleBlack rabbits on Lundy: Tudor treasures or post-war phonies?
AuthorsTimmermans, M., Elmi, H. and Kett, S.
Abstract

Lundy is renowned for its feral black rabbits which, according to popular tradition, have inhabited the island since medieval times. Black rabbit fur was valued for much of the Middle Ages, explaining why warreners of Lundy might have favoured them, but genes responsible for feral rabbit melanism remain unexplored. Further potential complicating factors occur in the form of recent (twentieth century) small-scale domestic rabbit introductions to the Lundy feral population. To gain insight into genetic mechanisms underlying melanism on Lundy, rabbit samples were collected and subjected to molecular analysis. The Lundy rabbit population is shown to harbour non-functional copies of the agouti signalling protein (Asip) gene, a main determinant of coat colour in mammals. The observed genetic mutation is not unique to Lundy, having been reported to underlie dark coat colour phenotypes in various domestic rabbit breeds. The mutation is recessive and only phenotypically expressed in homozygous individuals. Although presence of this particular allele does not preclude recent genetic augmentation or replacement, simple population genetics show that allele persistence from a medieval introduction is not impossible.

PublisherThe Lundy Field Society
JournalJournal of the Lundy Field Society
ISSN1758-3276
Publication dates
Print01 Mar 2018
Publication process dates
Deposited30 Jan 2018
Accepted21 Nov 2017
Output statusPublished
Publisher's version
File Access Level
Open
Copyright Statement

The full text of the published version is made available in the Middlesex University Research Repository with publisher (Lundy Field Society) permission

© The Lundy Field Society and the contributors
Unless otherwise stated, reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorised without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of this publication for resale or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission of the copyright holder.

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http://www.lundy.org.uk/index.php/resources/journal-archive?volume=6
LanguageEnglish
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