What term describes the incredibly faint or washed-out stripe markings sometimes visible on a white tiger's coat?
Answer
Ghost striping
The expression of the gene responsible for white coloration is not uniform across all individuals, leading to variations in the appearance of the stripes themselves. In some white tigers, the black or dark brown stripes are not sharply defined. Instead, they can appear significantly muted, faint, or washed out against the creamy white background fur. This specific visual phenomenon is commonly referred to as 'ghost striping.' This variation demonstrates that even within the confines of the recessive gene expression, environmental or secondary genetic factors can subtly influence how the remaining eumelanin manifests visually.
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