It’s been a mystery for quite some time. Snowflake was the world’s only known albino gorilla... but no one knew what caused his color-free complexion. But scientists from the University of Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona have finally gotten to the bottom of the anomaly: inbreeding. Or as The Telegraph puts it... “Researchers have discovered that Snowflake was a product of incest and that his mother was mostly likely a niece who mated with her uncle.” Scientists arrived to this conclusion using genetic sequencing on blood samples taken from Snowflake. Comparing his sequences to those of humans and non-albino gorillas, they found a single gene, known as SLC45A2, was likely passed down from his parents. The finding, and its results, begs the question of whether inbreeding among gorillas is a problem. There’s no evidence pointing to widespread incest among Western lowland gorillas. But one of the lead scientists studying Snowflake’s condition said other gorilla subspecies are known to mate with family, and if the mammals continue to lose habitat, this may become the trend. “'If we are reducing much more the space that they have now, it is more likely that they will be forced to stay in the group and that will increase the consanguinity,’ or shared blood.” Villagers first discovered Snowflake in the wild in October 1966. He was then sold to a professor for research and a month later arrived at the Barcelona zoo. For decades he drew in large crowds but passed away 10 years ago of skin cancer. Nonetheless, researchers believe the latest findings on Snowflake’s pigmentation could help the study of the albino condition in humans.
(Image Source: Barcelona Zoo )
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