Phenotype

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A comic Siamese cat examines its dark paw; warm-core and cool-extremity symbols illustrate temperature-sensitive pigment production as fur grows.

Environmental Effects on Phenotype: Examples and Practice

A Siamese cat usually has paler fur on warmer body regions and darker fur on cooler extremities. A temperature-sensitive variant of tyrosinase, an enzyme needed for pigment production, helps explain the pattern: pigment production is reduced at warmer temperatures and greater at cooler temperatures