Mosaic Effects in Domestic Birds

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Abstract
The literature on mosaicism is reviewed and it is pointed out that no real understanding of its causes has been gained because analysis of ancestry, progeny tests and complete records of pheno-type are usually lacking. There is no good evidence for origin from a binucleate egg but there is some evidence for nondisjunction of a chromosome in several cases where the pedigree is informative. In addition to deductions from genetics, grafting has afforded a clue to the erratic unpredictable nature of color mosaics, in that it has shown melanophores to be wandering cells. Color mosaicism not involving melanin pigments is more nearly comparable to structural mosaicism, giving more logical patterns and repetition in regeneration. A useful, fairly extensive information has accumulated so that a more complete perception of the physiology is envisaged.