Coat variants in cats. Gametic disequilibrium between unlinked loci.

Examination of the extent and pattern of gametic disequilibrium between nine pairs of unlinked loci in four large samples of cats revealed large and consistent values. These observations appear inconsistent with either genetic drift or gene flow as causes of the disequilibrium. On the other hand, the extent of epistatic selection necessary to generate the majority of these values appears reasonable.