Final answer:
The F2 generation plant phenotypes, composed of tall/inflated, tall/constricted, dwarf/inflated, and dwarf/constricted plants, demonstrate a 9:3:3:1 phenotypic ratio when simplified, which is consistent with Mendelian principles of independent assortment.
Step-by-step explanation:
When analyzing plant phenotypes such as tall/inflated, tall/constricted, dwarf/inflated, and dwarf/constricted, it's essential to understand their genotypic basis and how these relate to Mendelian laws. In the F2 generation, you observed 2706 tall/inflated, 930 tall/constricted, 888 dwarf/inflated, and 300 dwarf/constricted plants. To determine if these findings are consistent with Mendelian principles, first reduce these numbers to a ratio.
The expected Mendelian ratio for two independently assorting traits in the F2 generation is 9:3:3:1. The observed numbers can be simplified by dividing each by the smallest number observed, which is 300 in this case, giving us approximately a 9:3:3:1 ratio. This suggests that the phenotypic traits of the plants seem to segregate according to Mendel's laws. Specifically, this ratio indicates that one trait (height) has a dominant and recessive form (tall vs. dwarf), and the other trait (pod shape) also has a dominant and recessive form (inflated vs. constricted). When crossed, the traits assort independently and combine in the offspring according to the expected ratio.
If far fewer plants were used in the experiment, the results might deviate from the expected ratio due to a smaller sample size not accurately representing the statistical probabilities. This concept is known as genetic drift, which can have a more pronounced effect in smaller populations.