JOURNAL OF GENETICS MINI PROJECT

TITLE :

COMPARISON IN GENETIC POPULATION OF CATS AT KAMPUNG KETOYONG AND TAMAN INDAH

LECTURER’S NAME : DR FATIMAH BT. MOHAMED

GROUP MEMBERS:

NAME MATRIC NO.

UMI ABIBAH BT. SULAIMAN D20091034811

SARAH SABILLAH BT. IBRAHIM D20091034820

NOOR ZANARRIYAH BT. MOHAMAD GANI

D20091034827

SITI SHAHIDA BT. MOHD AZIRI D20091034836

ZAINAB FASIHAH BT. MUHAMAD SUKARDI

D20091034842

COMPARISON IN GENETIC POPULATION OF CATS AT KAMPUNG KETOYONG AND TAMAN INDAH

UMI ABIBAH BINTI SULAIMANSARAH SABILLAH BINTI IBRAHIM

NOOR ZANARRIYAH BINTI MOHAMAD GANISITI SHAHIDA BT. MOHD AZIRI

ZAINAB FASIHAH BT. MUHAMAD SUKARDI

GENETIC

FACULTY OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

UNIVERSITI PENDIDIKAN SULTAN IDRIS

PERAK DARUL RIDZUAN

Abstract

The purpose of this mini project is to compare the genetic population of cats at Kampung Ketoyong and Taman Indah. The grand total for population of cat that we got from these two places is 92. There are about 57 cats from Taman Indah and the rest 35 we got the samples from Kampung Ketoyong. The research was done for two consecutive days which on the first day we went to Kampung Ketoyong first, and the next day we went to Taman Indah.

The results that we got were tabulated. From the results, we manage to categorize the coat colours into several traits of coat colours which are, white with spotting, brown, orange, black, tabby, tortoiseshell, and grey. Based on the research, the highest population of coat colour in Taman Indah comes from orange coat colour that is 23. From the value, 12 out of 23 come from female cats and the other 11 come from male cats. Whereas, the highest population of coat colour in Kampung Ketoyong comes from tabby pattern that is 12, which from them 7 are female cats while the rest 5 are male cats.

Based on the analysis of data, a deeper investigation has been carried out by us. We have relate the environmental factor with the results that we got to explain why the population cat is higher in Taman Indah compared to Kampung Ketoyong.

Introduction

Cats can be grouped into three categories according to where and how they live. The categories are domestic cats, stray cats and feral cats. Domestic cats that are owned by an individual or a household. Their owners supply most of their needs. Stary cats are cats found in and around cities, towns and rural properties. They may depend on some resources provided by humans, but are not owned. cats that live and reproduce in the wild and survive by hunting or scavenging. Non of their needs are satisfied intentionally by people.

Cats are chosen as subject in our research because in our Genetics course we had learned about the dosage compensation which involve the inactivation of X-chromosomes in production of calico/tortoiseshell cat. We want to prove that the coat colour for cat is not only control by the sex linked but it is also controlled by other factors as well.

Before we had conducted our research we had refer to a case study which involve the formation of first cloned cat, a shorthaired calico named CC (short for “carbon copy” and “copy cat”). It was cloned with cells from a cat namedRainbow. Delivered by cesarean section on December 22, 2001, in a university laboratory, CC was the first household pet to be cloned. The kitten was anything but an exact copy of Rainbow. Although tests indicated that CC was a genetic duplicate of the cat that donated the original ovary cell, CC’s markings were quite different from those of Rainbow. Calico markings such as those possessed by CC are the result of random molecular changes that occur during fetal development.

From the case study, it shows that dosage compensation do take place in the determination of the cat coat colour . Therefore, we want to find out more what are other factors which may influence the determination of the cat coat colour.

Objectives

1. To identify which place has the highest population of cats and factors influenced it.

2. To identify whether the coat colour of cat is controlled by sex linked or not.

3. To study the derivation of gene which give the coat colour to cat.

Material and Apparatus

The materials that we had used in this research were cats and camera. The camera that we used was a

Sony Ericson’s phone camera. The apparatus that we used were marker pen and a note book. The

marker pen was used to mark the cats that we had found so that we do not count it twice.

Method

This research was carried out for about two consecutive days. On the first day, it was carried out at

Kampung Ketoyong and the second day at Taman Indah. Both are located next to each other. The

technique that we used to count the population of cats at the both places was capture, mark and

release. On the first day, we managed to find only 35 cats because after five hours searching for the cat

at Kg Ketoyong we found nothing. On the second day, we managed to find 57 cats in 3 hours at

Taman Indah. This quite many due to Taman Indah is a residential area compared to Kg Ketoyong

which is more or less like a village area.

Results and Discussions

WHY POPULATION OF CATS IS HIGHER IN TAMAN INDAH COMPARED TO KAMPUNG KETOYONG?

Our mini project of Genetics subject on the population of cats was carried out at two different places that are Taman Indah and Kampung Ketoyong. After making research on the both of the places, we found out that the population of cats in Taman Indah is higher than the population of cats in Kampung Ketoyong.

The environment of Taman Indah is totally different with the Kampung Ketoyong. This is because Taman Indah is a residential area, while Kampung Ketoyong is a village area. There are a lot of reasons why population of cats in Taman Indah is higher than Kampung Ketoyong. First of all , from our observation, Taman Indah have food stalls and restaurants that may probably attract the cats to stay there comfortably as it will be easier for them to get food and the stalls there would be their primary source to get the food. Besides that, there is a huge domestic waste site at Taman Indah. Domestic waste provides variety type of food waste and other related substances that promoting lots of benefits to the cats around them. Cats are usually getting some food and stay in groups there, making its population high in Taman Indah.

Other than that, many residents in Kampung Ketoyong keep dogs as their pets in the house. As we already know, cats and dogs always compete to each other to get their needs. This eventually will cause the cat to get injured by the dogs and may cause fatal. This will make their population in Kampung Ketoyong is lower than Taman Indah. Besides that, most of the residents in Kampung Ketoyong are from Myanmar citizens. We were informed by one of the residents there; he said that Myanmar citizens have a habit of keeping their own cats since cats are special dishes for them either as lunch or dinner.

Moreover, cats in Kampung Ketoyong are kept by the residents there (domestic cats). So, the reproduction of their cats can be controlled and they mating with its partner only and not to other feral cats. While, reproduction of cats in Taman Indah cannot be controlled as there are lot of free-roaming feral cats that mating to each other and producing high population of cats. In addition, shady places are the best places for cats to survive as it is the appropriate place to them. That is why population of cats in Taman Indah is high as its residential area is organised place and lot of alleys there that serving comfortable residence compared to Kampung Ketoyong.

Problems faced during the experiment

1. The cats that we found were very hard to be identified and categorized because they have many types of colours.

2. We found it was very hard to identify the sex of the cats since the cats were quite wild and their pictures cannot be taken clearly.

3. There were many dogs in Kampung Ketoyong which made us hard to search for the cats. So, this has limited our findings.

Suggestions

1. The researchers who want to do another project on population of cats should have prior knowledges in order to avoid errors during experiment.

2. Give the foods to cats to attract them to come nearer to us, so that we can take their photo easily.

3. Before choosing the research site, the researcher should do some study regarding to the site of research. This is to ensure that the research site is suitable and safe to run the experiment.

Conclusion

In this experiment, we are able to identify which place has the highest population of cats and factors which had influenced it. The place which has the highest population of cats is at Taman Indah. Not to forget, we are also able to determine whether the coat colour of cat is controlled by sex linked or not. It is not only controlled by sex linked, but actually dosage compensation and gene interaction also influence the determination of coat colour of cat. There are several genes that act to give the coat colour to cat depending on the colour brought by individual allele.

References

Internet

http://scidiv.bellevuecollege.edu/rkr/Biology211/labs/pdfs/CatGenetics211.pdfhttp://www.wikidoc.org/index.php/Cat_coat_geneticshttp://www.ableweb.org/volumes/vol-19/mini.6.mills.pdf

BookGenetics ; Principles and Analysis 4th edition, Daniel L. Hartl and Elizabeth W. Jones