Final answer:
The recessive allele for a spotted coat in hyenas is only expressed in 10% of homozygous individuals, indicating other factors affecting trait expression. There is also variable expressivity in spot patterns among those that do express the phenotype, with different degrees of spotting observed.
Step-by-step explanation:
From the given information, we can conclude that the trait for a spotted coat in hyenas is determined by a recessive allele and that only a subset (10%) of hyenas that are homozygous for this allele actually express the spotted phenotype. This indicates that additional genetic or environmental factors may be influencing the expression of this trait.
Furthermore, among the spotted hyenas, there is variation in the degree of spotting, with a phenotypic ratio of 20% having few spots, 30% moderate spotting, and 50% highly spotted. These percentages reflect variable expressivity, which means that even though the animals have the same genotype, the phenotype can vary in intensity.
Complete question is as follows :
In hyenas, there is a recessive allele for spotted coat, however, only 10% of hyenas homozygous for this allele have spots. Among those with spots, 20% have few spots, 30% have moderate spotting, and the remaining 50% are highly spotted. What can we conclude from this information?