Search -
Cats Are Not Peas: A Calico History of Genetics
Cats Are Not Peas A Calico History of Genetics Author:Laura L. Gould, Laura Gould After she adopted a calico cat from the Humane Society that turned out to be a male, Laura Gould was seized with curiosity. Aren't all calicos female? But this calico cat named George really was male. For there to be no male calicos at all would be understandableit was their extreme rarity that was the puzzle. Her curiosity about her new cat's ... more »existence encouraged her to learn some basic genetics, to examine its history, and to explore the calico folklore. The result is a thoroughly enjoyable and non-technical book that brings together two very interesting topics. Narrated with inimitable grace and wit, this is the story of an unrecognized chapter in the history of science. Gould, an expert in linguistics with no previous training in genetics, decided to learn how this could be. She takes us through the great discoveries in genetics, from Mendel's studies of inheritance in peas through the discovery of the chromosome and the role of DNAall seen from the little-known and unheralded viewpoint of the cat.« less