OK, here are some pics comparing Tigra, Azlan and Zion. The flash has made them all look a bit lighter than they are in reality, but even so I'm sure you'll see what I'm getting at. Sorry they are a bit blurred - I was struggling trying to keep them still (against their wishes!) and part their fur with one hand and take a picture with the other. Also I suspect these will be huge, I forgot to resize them before uploading and still haven't figured out how to resize them in Tinypic
I've parted each of their fur in the middle part of their dark spot/marble pattern markings (as seen in the pic immediately above it) to show the colour of the hair shafts...
Tigra:
Azlan:
Zion:
I've looked very closely, and I can't see any banding at all in the hairs in Zion's spots. They really are jet black from root to tip (in contrast to what Elaine was saying about lighter undercoats seen even on black domestic cats), unlike lighter areas where the banding is obvious. This is why it fascinated me so much. I remember Gaynor telling me his markings were "black to the skin" ages before I collected him. I had NO appreciation for what she was talking about until I brought him home even then it took me a couple days before I noticed the striking difference between him and the SBTs coats.
It really is quite striking as you can see such an obvious difference when you stroke him compared to stroking the others. Although it would be truly astonishing if he was clear coated, as he is quite ticked.
Also no worries Shantra, I previously said I was very interested in the basis of the range of different colours - so what you posted was completely related to that question also - although to a great extent we HAVE gone of the subject of genetics which I apologise for, as I think we've established we don't know the genetic/epigenetic basis for this.... but I'm pretty sure this is the same as what you would see in that Leopard and Jaguar also.
Is this seen in many Bengals? I've never noticed it before. I never noticed it on my previous F2 boy, but then I wasn't looking for it back then...