Genetics of the hypoplasia of feathers of the tail region in the Ingie fowl

1. A unique breed of fowls called Ingie, found on the Tanegashima Island of Kagoshima Prefecture in Japan, is characterised by the incomplete development of the tail feathers.

2. No abnormality of the caudal skeleton was found in the Ingie fowls but the structure of anterior and posterior barbules of the tail feathers differed from those of the normal fowl.

3. Genetical analysis indicated that the hypoplasia of the tail feathers is inherited as an autosomal dominant character: the symbol Hy is proposed for the gene.