Final answer:
In a pedigree, a female and a male who mate are connected by a horizontal line, which represents their mating relationship and shows they have had offspring. Females are represented as circles and males as squares in these charts.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a pedigree, a female and a male who mate are connected by a horizontal line. This line represents their mating relationship and signifies that they have had offspring together. In the schematic representation of a pedigree, females are depicted as circles and males as squares. Consequently, the presence of a horizontal line connecting a circle and a square indicates a mating pair. Moreover, their offspring are illustrated with vertical lines stemming from this horizontal line. Pedigree charts are a visual tool utilized in genetics to trace the inheritance of specific traits through generations, and understanding these symbols is essential for interpreting genetic information within families.
It is important to note that differing types of descent systems, such as matrilineal descent (tracing through female ancestors) and patrilineal descent (tracing through male ancestors), can have specific cultural implications, but these do not alter the fundamental representation of relationships within a pedigree. The horizontal line strictly reflects a reproductive union, regardless of the descent system in place.