Daily Question is excerpted from the JustAnswer archives and features information provided from an expert on JustAnswer.
Q: What is the physiological cause of the spots on a Dalmatian?
The spots don't help with camouflage here. (Photo: Flickr/David Jones)
A: The cause of the spots is due to the pigment melanin. The more melanin, the darker the skin/hair.
The pattern is due to at least two and maybe three genes that carry certain markers for making this spotted appearance. There are other dogs with these spots, like certain hunting dogs or hounds. The fact that only Dalmatians have this spotted appearance so uniformly makes us consider that there is a gene carried on the gene that gives Dalmatians their distinctive urine properties. The full gene sequence has not been mapped out yet, but in time we’ll know.
– Answer from Dr. Gary Ryder, veterinarian and expert on JustAnswer.
See also: What Are the Red Bumps Between My Dalmatian’s Toes?
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