Even well-established pairings can sometimes lead to surprises. Spots suddenly appear unexpectedly, lighter fibers emerge on the neck, or inexplicable skin coloration develops. Is this a sign of Appaloosa, spotted, or roan? Or something else entirely? Alpacas with the genotype EEaa or Eeaa could and "should" actually be black. Instead, they are brown or even light brown.

To answer these questions, a color gene panel was established. The project aims to better understand the genetics of these color patterns and identify their genetic origins. If successful, this will be another milestone in alpaca breeding.

With 484 alpacas from breeding farms across Europe, this project is not only the largest in Europe but also one of the largest research projects on alpaca color genetics worldwide. The collaboration of numerous breeding farms, which made the specific research approach for this study possible, is also unique.

It is to acknowledge and appreciate the years of work by many scientists worldwide in this field, as well as the development of the first color gene test by Kylie Munyard together with Neogen. Only the testing of many thousands of alpacas made a comprehensive comparison between phenotype and genotype possible, thus providing the basis for this study.

The first exciting results are in!

As is common in science, we're being cautious with our wording. After all, no one knows for sure if things are really as they currently appear. This is also reflected in the initial findings of our study, which challenge some of the existing assumptions about alpaca color genetics or shed new light on them.

It's important to understand that everything that has been investigated and done so far is the foundation for new insights! And what we know today is the basis for tomorrow's knowledge! It's not about right or wrong, but about progress that helps us to breed ever better and more precisely.

What did we find so far?

Overall, it appears that a variety of genes, gene variations, and gene combinations influence the fleece color of alpacas. One of the most important findings already seems to be that these genetic variants and combinations are practically undetectable externally, i.e., in the phenotype. For example, what was previously referred to as roan has very different genetic causes!

Dilution gene: The origin of this study was to find the cause of the sometimes significant differences between phenotype and genotype. For example, why genetically black alpacas appear brown or even lighter, and what causes the variations in color intensity. We currently assume that the sometimes large discrepancies between phenotype and the genotype of the base color can now be explained and may have several, sometimes quite different, genetic causes and interactions

White Spot: The gene for White Spot has been identified with a very high degree of probability. Interestingly, White Spot is often not phenotypically apparent. Instead, this gene likely leads not only to white spots, as previously assumed, but can also cause changes in fleece color or even roan-like patterns.

Piebald: This gene has also been identified with a very high degree of probability, but it exhibits a peculiarity that requires further investigation. Presumably, piebald is not phenotypically apparent in heterozygous individuals, which would explain why piebald offspring can result from phenotypically solid-colored parents.

Appaloosa: Several genes appear to be responsible for the Appaloosa pattern. There seem to be "true" Appaloosa genes and others that cause an Appaloosa-like pattern. This will be investigated further in Panel 2.

The project is being conducted and scientifically supervised by the University of Tübingen, specifically by the Institutes of Neuroanatomy and Developmental Biology, Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, and Genome Data Analysis and Bioinformatics.

Over the past two years, numerous breeding farms have made a significant contribution by providing their color gene test results, as well as images and descriptions of over 1,000 alpacas. These comprehensive comparisons and analyses are essential to making this project possible.

Panel 1 involved 14 farms, which provided samples from a total of 100 selected alpacas with specific color genotypes and phenotypes. Panel 2 includes 28 farms from several European countries with an additional 384 alpacas.

Participating Breeders

The project is supported by the Austrian Alpaca Breeders' Association. Many thanks on behalf of all alpaca breeders!

"As the Austrian Alpaca Breeders' Association, we place great value on fundamental scientific research in the alpaca field. A better understanding of genetic relationships is essential for the sustainable breeding of these fascinating animals. Therefore, we wholeheartedly support the Alpaca Color Gene Panel research project. This research will not only expand our knowledge of alpaca genetics but also contribute to developing a targeted and sustainable breeding strategy for the future.

We are delighted to be part of this groundbreaking project and eagerly await the results!"

President of the Austrian Alpaca Breeders' Association