The Korat cat ( Thai : โคราช, มาเลศ, สีสวาด , RTGS : Khorat, Malet, Si sawat ) is a silver-tipped blue-grey, short-haired breed of domestic cat with a small to medium build and a low percentage of body fat . Its body is semi-cobby, and unusually heavy for its size. It is an intelligent and playful active cat that forms strong bonds with people and is very vocal, with a sound different from other breeds. Among the Korat's distinguishing characteristics are its heart-shaped head, its large green eyes . Its front paws are shorter than the back paws.
50-500: The Korat is a natural breed , and one of the oldest stable cat breeds, and one of the very few that has not changed its appearance throughout centuries. Originating in Phimai , Thailand , it is named after its province of origin, Nakhon Ratchasima Province (typically called "Korat" by the Thai people). In Thailand, the breed is known as Si sawat , meaning "colour of the sawat seed". The Korat
100-638: A boy, Clairabelle Ninja Rococoa. A third and fourth Thai Lilac Point has recently been born into the Jusarka line. The Korat is one of the more commonly affected breeds for gangliosidosis 1 and gangliosidosis 2 . An autosomal recessive mutation in the GBL1 and HEXB gene respectively is responsible for the conditions in the breed. Atherosclerosis conditions, typically never seen in cats, similar to human atherosclerosis, were also seen in Korat cats. A genetic predisposition
150-569: A breed-standard appearance but might have lost other useful characteristics and have developed undesirable traits linked to inbreeding. The ancient landrace dogs of the Fertile Crescent that led to the Saluki breed excels in running down game across open tracts of hot desert, but conformation -bred individuals of the breed are not necessarily able to chase and catch desert hares . Some standardized breeds that are derived from landraces include
200-403: A broader scale, New World populations derived from the founder stock of Colonial Spanish horse . The Yakutian and Mongolian Horses of Asia have "unimproved" characteristics. The standardized swine breeds named "Landrace" are often not actually landraces or derived from landraces. The Danish Landrace pig breed, pedigreed in 1896 from an actual local landrace, is the principal ancestor of
250-692: A dog landrace with a related standardized breed with a similar name is the collie . The Scotch Collie is a landrace, while the Rough Collie and the Border Collie are standardized breeds. They can be very different in appearance, though the Rough Collie in particular was developed from the Scotch Collie by inbreeding to fix certain highly desired traits. In contrast to the landrace, in the various standardized Collie breeds, purebred individuals closely match
300-415: A farmers' variety or cultivar . Traits from landraces are valuable for incorporation into elite lines . Crop disease resistance genes from landraces can provide eternally-needed resistances to more widely-used, modern varieties. Some standardized animal breeds originate from attempts to make landraces more consistent through selective breeding , and a landrace may become a more formal breed with
350-406: A focus on their production may result in missing out on some benefits afforded to producers of genetically selected and homogenous organisms, including breeders' rights legislation, easier availability of loans and other business services, even the right to share seed or stock with others, depending on how favorable the laws in the area are to high-yield agribusiness interests. As Regine Andersen of
400-457: A group. These characteristics are used by farmers to manage diversity and purity within landraces. In some cultures, the development of new landraces is typically limited to members of specific social groups, such as women or shaman. Maintaining existing landraces, like developing new landraces, requires that farmers be able to identify crop-specific characteristics and that those characteristics are passed on to following generations. Over time,
450-429: A landrace and a cultivar, may also include landraces when referring to plant varieties not subjected to formal breeding programs. A landrace native to, or produced for a long time within the agricultural system in which it is found is referred to as an autochthonous landrace , while a more recently introduced one is termed an allochthonous landrace . Within academic agronomy , the term autochthonous landrace
500-504: A landrace is a mixture of phenotypic forms despite relative outward uniformity, and a great adaptability to its natural and human environment. The word landrace entered non-academic English in the early 1930s, by way of the Danish Landrace pig , a particular breed of lop-eared swine. Many other languages do not use separate terms, like landrace and breed , but instead rely on extended description to convey such distinctions. Spanish
550-778: A landrace. General features that characterize a landrace may include: Landrace literally means 'country-breed' (German: Landrasse ) and close cognates of it are found in various Germanic languages . The first known reference to the role of landraces as genetic resources was made in 1890 at an agriculture and forestry congress in Vienna , Austria . The term was first defined by Kurt von Rümker in 1908, and more clearly described in 1909 by U. J. Mansholt, who wrote that landraces have more stable characteristics and better resistance to adverse conditions, but have lower production capacity than cultivars, and are apt to change genetically when moved to another environment. H. Kiessling added in 1912 that
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#1732854926921600-565: A portfolio of landraces over time that have specific ecological niches and uses. Conversely, modern cultivars can also be developed into a landrace over time when farmers save seed and practice selective breeding . Although landraces are often discussed once they have become endemic to a particular geographical region, landraces have always been moved over long and short distances. Some landraces can adapt to various environments, while others only thrive within specific conditions. Self-fertilizing and vegetatively populated species adapt by changing
650-547: A standardized or formal breed. Two approaches have been used to conserve plant landraces: As the amount of agricultural land dedicated to growing landrace crops declines, such as in the example of wheat landraces in the Fertile Crescent , landraces can become extinct in cultivation. Therefore ex situ landrace conservation practices are considered a way to avoid losing the genetic diversity completely. Research published in 2020 suggested that existing ways of cataloging diversity within ex situ genebanks fall short of cataloging
700-557: A strict programme of genetic isolation and formal artificial selection to achieve a particular phenotype." In various domestic species (including pigs, goats, sheep and geese) some standardized breeds include "Landrace" in their names, but do not meet widely used definitions of landraces. For example, the British Landrace pig is a standardized breed, derived from earlier breeds with "Landrace" names. Farmers' variety , usually applied to local cultivars, or seen as intermediate between
750-416: Is assumed rather than a underlying condition or medical treatment for these conditions in the cats. Natural breed A landrace is a domesticated , locally adapted, often traditional variety of a species of animal or plant that has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural environment of agriculture and pastoralism , and due to isolation from other populations of
800-801: Is at the heart of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (the "Plant Treaty" for short), under the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), though its concerns are not exclusively limited to landraces. Landraces played a basic role in the development of the standardized breeds but are today threatened by the market success of the standardized breeds. In developing countries, landraces still play an important role, especially in traditional production systems. Specimens within an animal landrace tend to be genetically similar, though more diverse than members of
850-515: Is known colloquially as the "good luck cat". Traditionally, they are given in pairs to newlyweds or people who are highly esteemed, for good luck . Until recently, Korats were not sold, but only given as gifts. The probable first allusion to the breed is in the Thai Tamra Maew ( The Cat-Book Poems ), authored between 1350 and 1767 CE and now in the National Library of Thailand . However,
900-607: Is one such language. Geneticist D. Phillip Sponenberg described animal breeds within these classes: the landrace, the standardized breed, modern "type" breeds, industrial strains, and feral populations. He describes landraces as an early stage of breed development, created by a combination of founder effect , isolation, and environmental pressures. Human selection for production goals is also typical of landraces. As discussed in more detail in breed , that term itself has several definitions from various scientific and animal husbandry perspectives. Some of those senses of breed relate to
950-584: Is short, with roots of a lighter silver blue. The hair shaft colour increases to deeper blue and the tips are silver, especially on the muzzle and toes. This is the only colour accepted for a Korat. The eyes are large and peridot green in an adult cat, but kittens have muddy, amber or golden-green coloured eyes which gradually change as they become adults, at two to four years. Although it is rare, Korats occasionally have striking or faint white markings or spots or even very faint grey stripes. Sometimes these spots increase in size with age. These are seen as flaws, and
1000-698: Is sometimes used with a more technical, productivity-related definition, synthesized by A. C. Zeven from previous definitions beginning with Mansholt's: "an autochthonous landrace is a variety with a high capacity to tolerate biotic and abiotic stress, resulting in a high yield stability and an intermediate yield level under a low input agricultural system." The terms autochthonous and allochthonous are most often applied to plants, with animals more often being referred to as indigenous or native . Examples of references in sources to long-term local landraces of livestock include constructions such as "indigenous landraces of sheep", and "Leicester Longwool sheep were bred to
1050-420: Is typically in adolescence or adulthood and is the slowest progressing of the subtypes. Symptoms include muscle atrophy, neurological complications that are less severe and progress at a slower rate than in other forms of the disorder, corneal clouding in some patients, and dystonia (sustained muscle contractions that cause twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures). Angiokeratomas may develop on
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#17328549269211100-661: The American Landrace (1930s). In this way, the Swedish Landrace is derived from the Danish and from other Scandinavian breeds, as is the British Landrace breed. Many standardized goose breeds named "Landrace", e.g. the Twente Landrace goose , are not actually true landraces, but may be derived from them. Gangliosidosis 1 The GM1 gangliosidoses , usually shortened to GM1, are gangliosidoses caused by mutation in
1150-790: The Dutch Landrace , Swedish Landrace and Finnish Landrace goats . The Danish Landrace is a modern mix of three different breeds, one of which was a "Landrace"-named breed. The wild progenitor of the domestic horse is extinct. It is rare for landraces among domestic horses to remain isolated, due to human use of horses for transportation, thus causing horses to move from one local population to another. The heavy 'draft' type of domestic horse, developed in Europe, has differentiated into many separate landraces or breeds. Examples of horse landraces also include insular populations in Greece and Indonesia, and, on
1200-544: The GLB1 gene resulting in a deficiency of beta-galactosidase . The deficiency causes abnormal storage of acidic lipid materials in cells of the central and peripheral nervous systems , but particularly in the nerve cells, resulting in progressive neurodegeneration . GM1 is a rare lysosomal storage disorder with a prevalence of 1 to every 100,000 to 200,000 live births worldwide, although rates are higher in some regions. GM1 Gangliosidoses disorders are caused by mutations in
1250-589: The National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB, UK). However, more may need to be done, because plant genetic variety, the source of crop health and seed quality, depends on a diversity of landraces and other traditionally used varieties. Efforts (as of 2008 ) were mostly focused on Iberia , the Balkans , and European Russia , and dominated by species from mountainous areas. Despite their incompleteness, these efforts have been described as "crucial in preventing
1300-588: The Turkish Angora and Turkish Van breeds and their possible derivation from the Van cat landrace, the relationships are not entirely clear. Dog landraces and the selectively bred dog breeds that follow breed standards vary widely depending on their origins and purpose. Landraces are distinguished from dog breeds which have breed standards, breed clubs and registries. Landrace dogs have more variety in their appearance than do standardized dog breeds. An example of
1350-512: The genetic diversity of domesticated plant species lies in landraces and other traditionally used varieties. Some farmers using scientifically improved varieties also continue to raise landraces for agronomic reasons that include better adaptation to the local environment, lower fertilizer requirements, lower cost, and better disease resistance. Cultural and market preferences for landraces include culinary uses and product attributes such as texture, color, or ease of use. Plant landraces have been
1400-618: The Cat (1903), reputedly produced a large number of "Siamese" kittens; the other, Mrs. B. Spearman's Blue Siamese male, "Nam Noi", was disqualified as a Siamese, but accepted in the Russian or Any Other Blue class in which he placed first (WR Hawkins, "Around the Pens", July 1896). Spearman tried unsuccessfully to import more of these "Blue Siamese". Korats first appeared in the US in the 1950s. In 1959, Cedar Glen cattery
1450-549: The Fridtjof Nansen Institute (Norway) and the Farmers' Rights Project puts it, "Agricultural biodiversity is being eroded. This trend is putting at risk the ability of future generations to feed themselves. In order to reverse the trend, new policies must be implemented worldwide. The irony of the matter is that the poorest farmers are the stewards of genetic diversity." Protecting farmer interests and protecting biodiversity
1500-867: The GLB1 gene, which codes for lysosomal hydrolase, acid beta-galactosidase (β-gal). Low levels of β-gal cause an accumulation of GM1 gangliosides . They are inherited, autosomal recessive sphingolipidoses , a class of lipid storage disorders . Diagnosis of GM1 can be obtained by genetic and enzymatic testing. GM1 has three forms classified by age of onset. Symptoms of early infantile GM1 (the most severe subtype, with onset shortly after birth) may include neurodegeneration , seizures , liver enlargement ( hepatomegaly ), spleen enlargement ( splenomegaly ), coarsening of facial features, skeletal irregularities, joint stiffness, distended abdomen, muscle weakness, exaggerated startle response to sound, and problems with gait . About half of affected patients develop cherry-red spots in
1550-543: The International Agricultural Congress, organized by the predecessor of the FAO, an extensive discussion was held on the need to conserve landraces. A recommendation that members organize nation-by-nation landrace conservation did not succeed in leading to widespread conservation efforts. Landraces are often free from many intellectual property and other regulatory encumbrances. However, in some jurisdictions,
Korat - Misplaced Pages Continue
1600-496: The U.K.. In 1990, Lillee's parents were re-mated with more lilac kittens resulting. A young male lilac was then born to another pair, also in the U.K., allowing more crossings without inbreeding too closely. The first recorded Thai Lilac Point was born to the Clairabelle line in 2014 when Clairabelle Pixie Dust was born from two Korat parents in the U.K.. A re-mating from the same parents resulted in another Thai Lilac Point, this time
1650-492: The appropriate information for landrace crops. An in situ conservation effort to save the Berrettina di Lungavilla squash landrace made use of participatory plant breeding practices in order to incorporate the local community into the work. Preservation efforts for cereal strains are ongoing including in situ and in online-searchable germplasm collections ( seed banks ), coordinated by Biodiversity International and
1700-466: The breed remains free of this inherited disease which once existed in some Korat and Thai breeding lines. The genes responsible for Pointeds and Lilacs were introduced into the Korat breed when new Korat breeding stock carrying the recessive genes was imported from Thailand. The first recorded Thai Lilac kitten was born to the Jenanca line in 1989, when "Jenanca Lilac Lillee" was born from two Korat parents in
1750-569: The cats are disqualified from competing in cat shows. However, such markings have no effect on personality or health. The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy recognizes Korat-type cats differing from the traditional solid blue appearance of the Korat on their experimental register. Such cats are registered as Thai Lilac if they are solid lilac . A Thai Blue Point exhibits the colourpoint pattern also seen in Siamese. A Thai Lilac Point also exhibits
1800-621: The colourpoint pattern also seen in Siamese, but in addition exhibits the Chocolate gene. These should not be confused with the Thai cat , a new name for the original (traditional or classic) Siamese cat type, with a rounder face and thicker body than modern "ultra-typed" Siamese. The policy for full registration of Korats only allows blue cats of full-registered parents or third-generation supplementary-registered parents. It also requires genetic testing for gangliosidosis to be carried out to ensure that
1850-410: The concept of landraces. A Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) guideline defines landrace and landrace breed as "a breed that has largely developed through adaptation to the natural environment and traditional production system in which it has been raised." This is in contrast to its definition of a standardized breed : "a breed of livestock that was developed according to
1900-742: The creation of a breed registry or publication of a breed standard . In such a case, one may think of the landrace as a "stage" in breed development. However, in other cases, formalizing a landrace may result in the genetic resource of a landrace being lost through crossbreeding . While many landrace animals are associated with farming, other domestic animals have been put to use as modes of transportation, as companion animals , for sporting purposes, and for other non-farming uses, so their geographic distribution may differ. For example, horse landraces are less common because human use of them for transport has meant that they have moved with people more commonly and constantly than most other domestic animals, reducing
1950-424: The extinction of many of these local ecotypes". An agricultural study published in 2008 showed that landrace cereal crops began to decline in Europe in the 19th century such that cereal landraces "have largely fallen out of use" in Europe. Landrace cultivation in central and northwest Europe was almost eradicated by the early 20th century, due to economic pressure to grow improved, modern cultivars. While many in
2000-702: The eye. Children may be deaf and blind by age 1 and often die by age 3 from cardiac complications or pneumonia . Onset of late infantile GM1 is typically between ages 1 and 3 years. The juvenile form may be diagnosed into childhood. Some children live into adolescence or early adulthood. This subtype is characterized by a trajectory in which some developmental skills are gained, then they stabilize and delays occur, and these are followed by regression. Early symptoms include difficulty crawling and walking, hypotonia , speech and swallowing problems, and seizures. Neurological symptoms include ataxia , seizures, dementia , and difficulties with speech. Onset of adult GM1
2050-418: The frequencies of phenotypes. Outbreeding crops absorb new genotypes through intentional and unintentional hybridization, or through mutation. A clear example of vegetal landrace would consist in the diverse adaptations of wheat to differential artificial selection constraints. Members of a landrace variety, selected for uniformity with regards to a unique feature over a period of time, can be developed into
Korat - Misplaced Pages Continue
2100-731: The illustration of the Korat in this book is not detailed enough to be definitive as to the breed portrayed. In recent years, the Korat was pictured on a postage stamp in Thailand. An example hangs in the city of Korat's post office. Korats first appeared in Britain under the name "Blue Siamese" in 1889 and 1896, but these solid blue cats did not conform to the cat show judges' perception of a Siamese cat, and they disappeared by 1901. One early import, "Dwina", owned by Russian Blue breeder Mrs. Constance Carew-Cox and mentioned in Frances Simpson's The Book of
2150-400: The incidence of populations locally genetically isolated for extensive periods of time. Many standardized breeds have rather recently (within a century or less) been derived from landraces. Examples, often called natural breeds , include Arabian Mau , Egyptian Mau , Korat , Kurilian Bobtail , Maine Coon , Manx , Norwegian Forest Cat , Siberian , and Siamese . In some cases, such as
2200-639: The native landraces of the region". Some usage of autochthonous does occur in reference to livestock, e.g. "autochthonous races of cattle such as the Asturian mountain cattle – Ratina and Casina – and Tudanca cattle." A significant proportion of farmers around the world grow landrace crops . However, as industrialized agriculture spreads, cultivars , which are selectively bred for high yield, rapid growth, disease and drought resistance, and other commercial production values, are supplanting landraces, putting more and more of them at risk of extinction . In 1927 at
2250-402: The process of identifying the distinguishing characteristic or features of a new landrace is reinforced by cultivation processes; for example, descendants of a plant that is notably drought tolerant may become iteratively more so through selective breeding as farmers regard it as better for dry areas and prioritize planting it in those locations. This is one way in which farming systems can develop
2300-509: The region are already extinct, some have survived by being passed from generation to generation, and have also been revived by enthusiasts outside Europe to preserve European agriculture and food culture elsewhere. These survivals are usually for specific uses, such as thatch , and traditional European cuisine and craft beer brewing. The label landrace includes regional cultigens that are genetically heterogeneous , but with enough characteristics in common to permit their recognition as
2350-445: The species. Landraces are distinct from cultivars and from standard breeds . A significant proportion of farmers around the world grow landrace crops , and most plant landraces are associated with traditional agricultural systems. Landraces of many crops have probably been grown for millennia. Increasing reliance upon modern plant cultivars that are bred to be uniform has led to a reduction in biodiversity , because most of
2400-477: The specific criteria which describe landraces, although there is broad consensus about the existence and utility of the classification. Individual criteria may be weighted differently depending on a given source's focus (e.g., governmental regulation , biological sciences , agribusiness , anthropology and culture, environmental conservation , pet -keeping and -breeding , etc.). Additionally, not all cultivars agreed to be landraces exhibit every characteristic of
2450-662: The subject of more academic research, and the majority of academic literature about landraces is focused on botany in agriculture , not animal husbandry . Animal landraces are distinct from ancestral wild species of modern animal stock, and are also distinct from separate species or subspecies derived from the same ancestor as modern domestic stock. Not all landraces derive from wild or ancient animal stock; in some cases, notably dogs and horses, domestic animals have escaped in sufficient numbers in an area to breed feral populations that form new landraces through evolutionary pressure . There are differences between authoritative sources on
2500-417: Was the first to import a pair of Korats to the US for breeding: a male named Nara and a female named Darra. In 1966, the Korat was accepted into championship status, through the efforts of a breeder from Maryland. The Korat's unusual colour is actually a silver-tipped blue that appears to shimmer. The Thais refer to this colour as "rain-cloud grey", and the shimmer as "sea foam". This cat has a single coat that
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