Cats Are Not Peas : A Calico History of Genetics

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 understandable -- it was their extreme rarity that was the puzzle. Cats are Not Peas, narrated with inimitable grace and wit, 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 DNA -- all from the little-known viewpoint of the pivotal and unheralded role played by cats as experimental subjects in this epic drama. Beautifully told, with a keen eye for both human and feline behavior, this book brings both science and cats to and engaging life.Gould, Laura L. is the author of 'Cats Are Not Peas : A Calico History of Genetics', published 1999 under ISBN 9780387988849 and ISBN 038798884X.