[The study and use on genetics of plumage color in quail]

The main plumage traits including wild-type, white, dark black, brown, dark-white inlays, brown-white inlays, yellow, red and purple have been reported,which are related to 26 loci. The majority of the loci are at the autosome and five loci at the Z chromosome. Four loci have multiple allelic series. The dominance or recessive relation are shown between allele of the most loci and few of them show allelic equivalence or incompletely dominance. There are five dominant plumage color mutations, such as yellow, silver, white, black at hatch and light down are lethal or semi-lethal in the homozygous state. These plumage color marker have played an important part in the breeding and production of quails and research fields. Some proposals are put forward in terms of strengthening the study of plumage color marks of quails.