2nd Edition

Cats Are Not Peas A Calico History of Genetics, Second Edition

By Laura Gould Copyright 2008
    312 Pages
    by A K Peters/CRC Press

    The Vets Turn Pale. . . George, a male calico, was a genetic anomaly, a manifestation of something that isn't supposed to happen, a creature so rare that even most veterinarians have never seen one. His curious existence sparked Laura Gould's long search through the archives of genetics to unearth the charming and valiant roles played by early cat geneticists, as well as cats themselves, in the study of genes and how they work. For everyone with an interest in cats and cat breeding, this is an unforgettable and often hilarious account of the intersecting lives of cats and geneticists.

    The field of genetics has exploded since 1992, when the first edition of Cats Are Not Peas was completed. Thus a lengthy Addendum is included in this new edition, providing the reader with the terminology and concepts needed to understand two burgeoning new areas in which cats have again had significant roles to play---the sequencing of genomes and the production of clones. These descriptions allow you to view with increasing wonder the world around you and to think seriously about whether you would like to have your personal genome mapped or your cat cloned, both of which are now possible (if you can afford it).

    Preface to the Second Edition, Preface to the First Edition, Acknowledgments, 1. In the Beginning, There Was George..., 2. How Do You Get a George?, 3. George’s Ancient Ancestry, 4. Ancient Theories of Sex, 5. The Genesis of Genetics, 6. What Did They See and When Did They See It?, 7. The Early Calico Papers, 8. Twentieth-Century Theories of Sex, 9. The Late Calico Papers, 10. The Cat Is Out of the Bag, Afterword, Addendum: Genetics Marches On, Informal Glossary, Dateline, References, Question Index

    Biography

    Laura Gould

    " to put down... Coherent, witty, and full of historical anecdotes … New Scientist … An easily understandable introduction to genetics…[with] a fascinating perspective.-Veterinary Technician, July 2007
    masculine because he has the tell-tale gender Y-chromosome in his body's cells, distinctly a domestic feline because of his 18 pairs of autosomes, mottled (orange, black & white) adorable George is a male calico cat. His body flagrantly, but superficially, disobeys Mendel's laws of heredity. Laura Gould's delightful tale, compelling but never pedantic, reveals he is not a closet female but rather a ""mosaic"": half his body's myriad cells carry an extra X-chromosome. Her retold story enlightens our genetic, karyological and literary sensibilities."" -October 2007
    ""...is highly recommended to community library pets/wildlife shelves with a focus on animal biology and for anyone who may be interested in breeding cats or just a plain interest in cats period."" -The Midwest Book Review, May 2008
    ""Curious as to why the male calico cat she had acquired by chance was so rare, Gould began looking at the underlying genetics, and discovered that modern scientists have a much more complex understanding of inheritance than Mendel's thinking, and than popular media would have people believe."" -BOOK NEWS Inc., June 2008"