Angora Color and Wool Length, Part 5: Modifiers

Two days ago, we compared two chocolate agouti littermate brother and sister.   One has an appearance that is very orange while the other one looks grayish.    Same situation with the chestnut agouti color.   In the above photo we have two littermate brother and sister that are both chestnut.  The one on the left, Fair N Square, is more dark gray while the one on the right, Fair Lady, is quite brown.   Their color genetic genotype is A-B-C-D-E-   but the modifiers make one with more brown/orange color while the other is more blue/gray.  

Up the 1995 standard, these two appearances were listed as two colors: the one on the left would be "Wild Gray" and the one on the right would be "Chestnut".   The description on the page 78 of the 1991-1995 SOP says, "Wild Gray: Same as chestnut except on the body, the slate blue band is predominant, giving an overall dark slate effect with little tan or chestnut banding. Eyes Brown".

I was then on the NARBC standard committee to revamp the color guide.   The committee chair asked the members whether these two colors should be combined together as chestnut since there was no difference in genotype, I along with others agreed.   There was no intention of eliminating the wild gray that has little tan banding, it's a recognition of what modifiers do to change the appearance even with the same genotype. 
 

This is the ring pattern of a wild gray agouti with slate blue band.
 



This is a chestnut with lots of brown/orange bands, photo taken of a younger coat.

 Both have exactly the same genotype of A-B-C-D-E-.

This completes the five-part series of the Angora Color and Wool Length.