Genetics Basic Rodent Genetics Genetics are somewhat difficult to understand, this page is intended to provide a very basic introduction on how to understand the various genetic comments you'll find around this page and elsewhere on the net. The examples here, unless otherwise noted, are all taken from genes controlling the coloration of gerbils, which are what I'm most familiar with.
Most rodents follow a very similar pattern.
All of life is made up of a pattern of genes which come together in a manner not unlike the two sides of a zipper. One side is from the mother, the other side from the father. Each gene locus contains two genes, one from the mother, one from the father. These are generally notated by a pair of letters such as AA, Aa, Pp, pp, etc. What letter is used refers to the gene locus.