Mendelian units of inheritance control color preferences in quail chicks (Coturnix coturnix japonica).

Genetic analysis of approach preferences for blue and red colors in 1-day-old, experientially naïve quail, at 12th through 14th generations of bidirectional genetic selection, implicate four to eight segregating units of inheritance. Because the quails' initial approach choices are also readily modifiable by experience, these results point the way to studying the mediation of gene effects, environment effects, and gene-environment interactions in visually guided behaviors.