Re: Albino Dino

[Jura <pristichampsus@yahoo.com>]

--- David Krentz <ddkrentz@charter.net> wrote:

>    I've been doing some research on albino animals
> and people today  
> and it seems that there are many forms of albinos. 
> A lot of it  
> depends on what the normal animal is supposed to be
> colored.  

+++++++++++++++++

Albinism is a complete lack of melanin in the body.
This includes eye colour. It's also known as
amelanism. There are other pigment loss phenotypes
aside from albinism. Axanthism (lack of yellow
pigment), anerythristic (lack of red pigment) and
leucism (reduction in all pigment, save the eyes).

Many of the other phenotypes are seen in reptiles
(which tend to have more chromatophores to mess with).

______________________________________________


 It looks as if there are lots of
> albino birds and  
> reptiles ( perhaps albino boas have been inbred for
> sale?)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

As zenlizard already pointed out, these are all
heavily (in)bred traits that are pretty much exclusive
to captive bred critters.

As for the effects of albinism, I think everyone else
has pretty much hit the nail on the head for this one.
Few albinos make it to sexual maturity. They are just
too easy to spot, and often suffer from internal
maladies to boot.

Jason


"I am impressed by the fact that we know less about many modern [reptile] types 
than we do of many fossil groups." - Alfred S. Romer