Final answer:
The most likely genotypes for the wolves of family 1 are both Nn due to a 1:1 fur color ratio among offspring, while in family 2, one parent is NN and the other is Nn to result in a 3:1 phenotypic ratio.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phenotypic ratios of wolf fur color in the offspring of the two families suggest different parental genotypes. For family 1, where one parent has gray fur (recessive) and the other has black fur (dominant), a 1:1 phenotypic ratio in the offspring would imply that both parents are heterozygous, with genotypes Nn (black fur) and Nn (gray fur). This scenario would produce half black and half gray offspring on average. For family 2, to see a different phenotypic ratio, such as 3:1 for black to gray fur in the offspring, one parent must be homozygous dominant (NN) and the other heterozygous (Nn), leading to mostly black offspring with a few gray ones. Different Punnett squares can be constructed for each family to predict these ratios based on Mendelian inheritance.
In family 1, the most likely genotypes of the parent wolves are Nn and Nn, where N represents the black fur allele and n represents the gray fur allele. In family 2, the most likely genotypes of the parent wolves are Nn and nn.
The different phenotype ratios in the offspring of the two families can be explained by the inheritance pattern of the alleles. In family 1, both parents are heterozygous (Nn) which results in a 3:1 phenotypic ratio (black fur:gray fur) in the offspring. In family 2, one parent is heterozygous (Nn) and the other parent is homozygous recessive (nn), which results in a 1:1 phenotypic ratio (black fur:gray fur) in the offspring.