In: Biology
Rhodesian Ridgebacks are known for the distinguishing feature of
the ridge of hair
running along their back in the opposite direction from the rest of
the coat. Recent
studies have shown this to be due to an autosomal dominant mutation
in the "Ridge"
gene (i.e., those homozygous recessive for the mutation are
ridgeless). You have two
ridged dogs (Dog 1 and Dog 2) that you have decided to breed, but
you are uncertain
of their exact genotypes.
1) After breeding your dogs, you observe that out of 10 puppies, 3
are ridgeless.
a) What are the possible genotypes of the ridged and ridgeless
puppies {please use
"R" and "r" to represent the alleles)?
b) Based on these results, what are the genotypes of Dog 1 and Dog
2? Explain how
you know this.
2) When looking only at the ridged puppies, can you definitively
determine the
genotype of each individual puppy?
3) Devise a breeding experiment that would allow you to determine
the specific
genotype of each ridged puppy. You may breed any of the puppies to
each other or
backcross with a parent (Dog 1 or 2). Please make sure you explain
the rationale of
your breeding crosses (i.e., what outcomes would you expect to see
and how does
this help you determine genotype).