Genetics?

Athenas Boy

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Are more vibrant colors/markings genetic or environmental? I.e. A "showroom" Metallica that has all vibrant blue, compared to a p. Metallica with just vibrant a legs or a p. Metallica that has a lot of dull coloring. Is the "showroom" Metallica a fluke? A 1/100 chance or has it gained its colors through strong genes in breeding? Or is it that way because of its diet like fish?
 

Hobo

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A- wha?

Not sure what you are talking about (showroom metallica?), but they are that color because they evolved that way; It's in their genes.
Note that the blue color is not from pigment, but from the structure of the hairs and it's interaction with light. The structure of the hairs is of course formed as instructed by the tarantulas genes.

Feeding your P. metallica blue things will have no effect unfortunately. :)
 

Python

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I think the OP is asking if desirable colors can be attained by selective breeding as in snakes or if colors are affected by environmental factors such as a specific food source. I might be wrong but that's' what I understood.
 

NewAgePrimal

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That is a question I have mulled over a bit myself. What made me think about it was a thread about g. rosea rcf/ncf coming out of one egg sac. Perhaps it would be possible to breed a desired trait through selective breeding, though I wouldn't reccomend g. rosea as a test subject because I would like the answer in my lifetime. I believe one would need to perform an experiment using a fast growing species of tarantula or true spider which is known to have color/pattern variation then selectively breed the species over the course of several generations.
 

cold blood

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I wouldn't reccomend g. rosea as a test subject because I would like the answer in my lifetime. I believe one would need to perform an experiment using a fast growing species of tarantula or true spider which is known to have color/pattern variation then selectively breed the species over the course of several generations.
Haha, so true.:) A good one might be a P. cam. You see them from dull almost greyish to really cool green where the yellow on the tarsi really sticks out. Plus they grow like weeds and mature quickly.
 

Athenas Boy

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Interesting. I want to start breeding soon but that's just a thought I had. I know quite a bit about snake breeding so I was wondering if the genes could be bred out similarly
 

ratluvr76

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I'm not sure why not. Everything is a conglomeration of different gene sequences and those genes are what determine everything about the individual. I think worms have been bred for larger size, weather hardiness etc. Why not arachnids? It would definitely be an interesting project. I wonder how many generations you'd need to go through before you'd start seeing consistency though.
 

Hobo

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I'm not sure why not. Everything is a conglomeration of different gene sequences and those genes are what determine everything about the individual. I think worms have been bred for larger size, weather hardiness etc. Why not arachnids? It would definitely be an interesting project. I wonder how many generations you'd need to go through before you'd start seeing consistency though.
You talking generations of tarantulas, or people? :p

Even with the fastest growing species, their lifecycle takes years/decades. The logistics involved with keeping and finding a desirable color trait in a batch of 100+ (1000+ sometimes!) animals that vary in color (depending on their age, where they are in their molt cycle, the lighting they are viewed with) that take several years to display color and even mature is mind boggling! Males are a one off; so that throws another wrench into things. This would take no less then a lifetime, and we are working under the assumption that morphs can be similarly bred out with tarantulas.
 

ratluvr76

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All very true and honestly I know very little about genetics but the first corn snake breeding programs faced similar obstacles. A lot of snake breeding projects are decades long in scope and size. Still, you are most likely correct, it may be more difficult with spiders.
 

ratluvr76

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Good thing I have a good 60-70 years ahead of me for research
:) :clap: That'll be fun. I'd like to try to start a project of that scale but I simply don't have the time or room for that many spiders. LOL
 

metallica

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Funny enough, in the late 90's someone sold P. regalis and T. blondi as P. regalis "Airlie Brae" and T. blondi "Airlie Brae". claiming them to be bigger and more fibrant due to selective breeding.
 

ratluvr76

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How old are you? 10?
LOL I had the same thought but didn't say anything. Maybe he's 20 and plans to live to 90 - 100.... average age at death is definitely climbing in this country. lol
 
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viper69

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Genetics.

There is no such thing as a "showroom blah blah blah".


The practicality of selective breeding tarantulas for enhanced color is a logistical nightmare. So you breed a species, the female drops 200 EWLs, are you going to raise up all 200 slings to see which one is "better" looking? If so, good luck!
 

shawno821

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Are more vibrant colors/markings genetic or environmental? I.e. A "showroom" Metallica that has all vibrant blue, compared to a p. Metallica with just vibrant a legs or a p. Metallica that has a lot of dull coloring. Is the "showroom" Metallica a fluke? A 1/100 chance or has it gained its colors through strong genes in breeding? Or is it that way because of its diet like fish?
Don't forget that lighting plays a huge role in pictures of adult T's.That "showroom" T' you're seeing may just be lit correctly to bring out the blue.And MM's can have stellar coloring the females do not.You could be seeing pics of MM's.Yes,some might be a little prettier,but those showroom T's you're seeing might just be showroom pics.Just my 2 cents.
 

goodoldneon

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Photoshop (or just about any photo manipulating software) can do wonders for a tarantula.
 

Dracorex5

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The implication that selective breeding can produce prettier slings would imply that spider genetics are much more complex than originally believed, and could show issues with inbreeding that weren't believed to be present before. Or maybe, it would just make inbreeding more tempting. Lots of snake morphs are produced through inbred specimens over the course of generations... Perhaps spiders may be the same? Do we have an entomologist on call for something like this? I can't find any studies on the diverseness of spider genes besides this one Harvard did on orb spiders that basically says different species of orb spiders may not be very closely related... which doesnt tell me much
 
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