Snowflake was born with albinism - a genetic mutation that causes a loss of colour pigments in skin and hair. He lived for 40 years before dying of skin cancer in 2003. Spanish scientists have discovered that his albino gene was inherited from this parents, who shared 12 per cent of DNA suggesting they were uncle and niece
The world's only known albino gorilla looked the way he did because of inbreeding, a new study has claimed.
A vial of frozen blood taken from Snowflake the gorilla - who lived at Barcelona Zoo for 40 years until his death in 2003 - discovered he inherited the gene from his parents.
After tracing this gene, Spanish scientists discovered his parents were closely related - sharing 12 per cent of their DNA - which suggests they were uncle and niece.
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