I have seen a few observations so far with wild organisms that exhibit rare mutations such as albinism or leaf variegation.
Quite recently I stumbled upon an observation of what I believe to be a variegated Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica).
If you search on google to see other photos of such a thing, nothing comes up. The species in question may have never been discovered or photographed with a mutation like that before. I find that fascinating and also really cool. I wish there was a way to look for mutant observations for every species, but I imagine they just get lost / buried in a sea of other regular organism observations.
I find mutants so interesting! Has anyone else got any cool mutant organism observations to share? I’d love to see them. :D
When I went to Florida recently, I saw an owl in a tree. iNat said barred owl, but I wasn’t sure why it looked different from the photos. Brenna explained it was melanistic!
I just noted a Passer domesticus, House Sparrow, that has two white flight feathers, one on the wing and one on the tail. It basically tags this individual with a unique recognizable feather pattern. I am unsure whether to think of this as a somatic-crossing-over event or some stage in the so-called progressive greying phenomenon which has been pictured elsewhere for House Sparrows. Is this Leucism? Or it something more interesting?
