TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Inbreeding that occur among gorillas is suspected to be the result of their decreasing habitats. A gorilla should breed with other gorilla from different group. However, the damage on their habitat makes the number of gorilla groups decreases.
The finding was revealed after a research on Snowflake, albino gorilla that belongs to Barcelona Zoo, Spain. Unlike the usual black or gray colour, Snowflake had a white colour.
"Some research have been trying to investigate the root cause of Snowflake's unique hair and skin colour. But the correct genetic mutation was never found," Discovery News wrote on Monday, June 17. Now, the Spain researchers track all of the gorilla's genome, and Snowflake is probably an offspring from its uncle and nephew.
Inbreeding is unusual to gorillas. But, the damage on its habitation due to continuous human sabotage made gorillas breed with their own siblings. In human, four genetic mutations are known to cause albinism, a syndrome indicated by the lacking of skin, eyes, and hair pigments. Due to this reason, albinos are very prone to visual disorders and skin cancer. Snowflake died from skin cancer in 2003.
"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, Marques-Bonet, one of the researcher said.
DISCOVERY | ANINGTIAS JATMIKA