Mendelian Genetics Worksheet
Mendelian Genetics Worksheet
Mendelian Genetics Worksheet
Directions: Complete the following five scenarios. Be certain to pay attention to the bolded and italicized words.
d. Write the phenotype of the female and the phenotype of the male below:
f. If they follow the Punnett Square ratios, what will the babies in the 4 eggs look like when they hatch?
g. Will all four offspring adhere exactly to the ratios predicted by the Punnett Square? Explain:
Hint: if I flip a coin and get heads 5 times in a row, what is the likelihood that I will get heads on the next flip?
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2. A family of fish resides in an aquarium. The
keeper, while bored, decides to determine the
genotypes of the parents based on their dorsal
fins.
a. What is the dominant phenotype?
d. How many baby fish have the dominant phenotype? How many have the recessive phenotype?
e. Complete the Punnett Squares below, one for each of the possible parental crosses of the adult fish.
f. Circle the Punnett Square above that is correct for the fish shown here.
g. What is the genotypic cross of the parents? (What genotypes did you cross?)
__________ X __________
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h. Why are the other Punnett Squares not possible for this family? (assume that the offspring exactly
follow the predicted ratios)
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3. Two yetis have babies. All yeti offspring are born with or without .
horns. (assume that the offspring follow predicted ratios exactly)
d. What are the two possible genotypes of the yeti parent on the right?
f. Complete both Punnett Squares below, one each for both possible genotypes of the right adult yeti.
g. Circle the Punnett Square above that is correct for the yetis shown here.
h. What is the genotypic cross of the parents? (What genotypes did you cross?)
__________ X __________
i. Why can’t the parents have different genotypes than what you listed above? (use the evidence in your
Punnett Squares)
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4. Spiny dorsal fins are dominant on this species of salamander. Could this couple have had this baby?
Explain using your knowledge of genotypes and phenotypes,
dominant and recessive alleles.
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5. In the space below, draw a mother and father with four offspring (any kind of animal – you choose). Create two
traits for them (color, horns, wings, fins, etc.). Create a dominant and recessive phenotype for each trait. Then
describe the genotype of each individual and describe his or her inheritance patterns (e.g. “the mother was
homozygous dominant and the father was homozygous recessive, so all babies are heterozygous for this trait”).
Finally complete a Punnett Square for each trait and label what trait each square represents.
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C OPYRIGHT C RAIG KOHN , W ATERFORD WI 2011. A VAILABLE FOR PUBLIC USE PROVIDED THE AUTHOR IS CITED.