Described herein, the first microsatellite linkage map for the American mink consists of 85 microsatellite markers resolved into 17 linkage groups. The map was constructed using 92 F1 progeny from five sire families created by crossing mink with different colour types. The linkage groups ranged from 0 to 137 cM. These linkage groups were assigned to 12 of the 14 mink autosomes using a somatic cell hybrid panel. The total map covered 690 sex-averaged

In mink, recessive and dominant genes carry standard colors from generation to generation but breeding and cross breeding of naturally occurring mutations (color changes) has resulted in farmed animals bearing colors that do not exist in nature. The silver blue color type is one of the most used recessive mutations within mink fur farming being part of some of the popular color types which combine more recessive mutations. We report here the mapping

Albino phenotypes are documented in various species including the American mink. In other species the albino phenotypes are associated with tyrosinase (TYR) gene mutations; therefore TYR was considered the candidate gene for albinism in mink. Four microsatellite markers were chosen in the predicted region of the TYR gene. Genotypes at the markers Mvi6025 and Mvi6034 were found to be associated with the albino phenotype within an extended half-sib