Question

A palomino (golden body color with flaxen mane and tail) is an intermediate trait to the chestnut (dark brown) and a diluting (pale cream) horse. A palomino crosses with a chestnut horse. What would the expected genotype and phenotype be for these offspring

Answer 1

The expected genotype for the offspring would be heterozygous for the Agouti gene (Aa) and homozygous for the Cream gene (CrCr), resulting in a palomino phenotype.

Step-by-step explanation:

Palomino horses are characterized by a golden body color with a flaxen (light cream) mane and tail. The golden color is influenced by the Agouti gene, which controls the distribution of black pigment. In this cross between a palomino and a chestnut horse, the chestnut horse likely carries two recessive alleles for the Agouti gene (aa), leading to a dark brown coat color.

When the palomino (AaCrCr) mates with the chestnut (aaCrCr), the resulting offspring will inherit one copy of the Agouti gene from the palomino parent and one from the chestnut parent, resulting in a heterozygous genotype for the Agouti gene (Aa).

This ensures the distribution of black pigment, contributing to the palomino's characteristic golden body color. Additionally, since the palomino is homozygous for the Cream gene (CrCr), all offspring will inherit one copy of the Cream gene, leading to a dilution of pigment and the expression of a palomino phenotype with a golden body color and a flaxen mane and tail.

In summary, the expected genotype for the offspring is heterozygous for the Agouti gene (Aa) and homozygous for the Cream gene (CrCr), resulting in a palomino phenotype that exhibits the intermediate traits between chestnut and diluting cream colors.