Explanation of how mutations occur in goldfinch with pictures

Today we will learn about the mutation of the goldfinch , that is, when changes occur in the natural colors of the bird’s feathers, there are many mutations, and we will learn about most of them. The types of birds carrying mutations until they obtain new mutations, and this process is similar to the process of hybridization between different species, except that the field of mutation expansion is much greater than the expansion of hybridization because the mutation occurs between individuals of the same sex

This is what a natural goldfinch looks like with its beautiful bright colours

First, what is a mutation?

A mutation is a change in the structure of the genes responsible for a trait.

Here we are talking about the characteristic of the color of the goldfinch’s feathers, that is, we get a goldfinch with a mutation when the composition of the genes responsible for the color of the feathers changes, and these changes occur with several factors, including, for example, radiation, some chemicals, the region’s climate, and the type of food…

These mutations are transmitted from one bird to another through mating.

Types of mutations in goldfinch

1- A dominant mutation (such as a yellow color mutation)

boom pictures

This mutation appears on the chicks of the goldfinch if one of the parents is a carrier of it in his genes, and it is a dominant (strong) mutation, that is, it appears instead of the characteristic of the natural color or any other weak mutation . This characteristic of the color of the yellow feathers, which dominates the brown and white.

2 – recessive (weak) mutations

Recessive mutations are those that are weak in appearance, as both spouses must be carriers of them in their genes in order for them to appear on the chicks and be in varying proportions. In order to understand this process, we will explain it with the example of the white-headed goldfinch mutation, as it is a recessive mutation.

Pictures of the white-headed goldfinch boom

Explain how to obtain this mutation (first mating)

In the picture, we have a mating between a male who carries the recessive white head mutation and a normal female who does not carry any mutation. We get chicks with 25 percent males who do not carry the mutation, 25 percent males who carry the mutation, 25 percent of the females who do not carry the mutation, and 25 percent of the rest. Females carry the mutation.

How can we get a white-headed goldfinch from these chicks (second mating)

We bring a male from the 25 percent that carries the mutation and we mate him with a female who carries the mutation as well, so we get chicks from the second generation as shown in the picture, with proportions of 12.5 males who do not carry the mutation, and 12.5 males who appear to have the mutation with a white head, and we also get a percentage of 25 percent for each of the males And females are carriers of the mutation

So we have 12.5 females left with a mutation who appear with white heads, and another 12.5 females who are normal and do not carry the mutation.

Mating between a mutant individual with a white head and a normal one (the third mating)

In this case, we have an individual, be it male or female, but he has a white head, that is, he has already mutated, and is not a carrier of the mutation only. We married him with another natural individual, male or female, without a mutation. From this mating, we get chicks of the first generation, which are 25 percent male with white heads and 25 percent Males are carriers of the mutation , 25 percent of females have white heads, and the remaining 25 percent are females that carry the mutation.

Here the first part ended, waiting for the second part , with other mutations, and an explanation of the matings that produced them.

Goldfinch with a very beautiful white boom – goldfinch boom