Question

Erminette fowls have mostly light-colored feathers with an occasional black one, giving a flecked appearance. A cross of two erminettes produced a total of 48 progeny, consisting of 22 erminettes, 14 blacks, and 12 pure whites. What genetic basis of the erminette pattern is suggested? How would you test your hypothesis?

Answer 1

I know it's going to be either incomplete dominance or co-dominance, but I'm not sure how to know which one. I guessed co-dominance, but my answer key says it's incomplete dominance., I'm confused

Answer 2

Can it go either way?

Answer 3

well...it wouldn't be co-dominance because that would imply that in a heterozygous fowl (erminette fowl) both alleles, together, should produce an equal number of feathers, but they don't. They have mostly white feathers with a few black specks here and there. That means that the allele for white feathers isn't dominant enough to completely mask the allele for black feathers

Answer 4

In incomplete dominance is when one allele does not completely dominate over another allele. Over here the allele for white feathers is definitely more dominant than the allele for black feathers, however it doesn't completely mask it

Answer 5

Thanks.