A Cat of a Different Color

In Finland, researchers recently discovered the reason behind a rare cat coloring. Cats with this coloring, described as “salmiak” (translated “salty liquorice”), usually have a tuxedo pattern in which the black fur is flecked with white. The coloring was first spotted in 2007, but until now geneticists didn’t know what causes the unique coloration to express itself. It turns out that a recessive genetic mutation causes the fur strands, which start out black at the root, to become white as they grow.

While mutations can result in variations, they can’t create or add the new information that evolution requires for one kind of animal to change into another. Even cat colors confirm the Bible, which tells us that God created each animal according to its own kind. Red, yellow, black, white, or salmiak—cats are cats.