Question

In a species of seals, short whiskers are dominant over long whiskers. When two heterozygous seals mate, what is the probability of producing short-whiskered offspring?

100% 100%
75% 75%
50% 50%
25%

Answer 1

The probability of producing short-whiskered offspring when two heterozygous seals mate is 75%, as determined by a Punnett square analysis.

Step-by-step explanation:

When two heterozygous seals mate, and short whiskers are dominant over long whiskers, we can use a Punnett square to determine the probability of their offspring having short whiskers. Since both parents are heterozygous, their genotypes are Ss (where 'S' represents the dominant allele for short whiskers and 's' the recessive allele for long whiskers). The possible combinations for the offspring are SS, Ss, Ss, and ss. The first three outcomes result in short whiskers, while only the last one results in long whiskers. Therefore, there are three chances out of four for short whiskers, equating to a 75% probability.