Question

You recently purchased a male pigeon that has checkered wings and red feathers from a shady pigeon dealer, who claimed it was homozygous. Before you breed this male with your prize winning female, you want to be sure that it is homozygous for both traits. Describe how you will be able to tell what the genotype for both traits of your pigeon in 1 generation

Answer 1

To determine the genotype of the male pigeon for both traits (checkered wings and red feathers) in one generation, you can perform a test cross by mating the male with a recessive individual for both traits. In this case, you need a pigeon that has non-checkered wings and non-red feathers (homozygous recessive for both traits).

If the male pigeon is truly homozygous dominant (for both checkered wings and red feathers), then all the offspring from the test cross will display the dominant traits. On the other hand, if the male is heterozygous or carries any recessive alleles, you will observe a 1:1 ratio of pigeons with the dominant traits to those with the recessive traits.

Here's the process:

Select a Test Cross Partner:

Choose a pigeon with non-checkered wings and non-red feathers (homozygous recessive for both traits).

Perform the Test Cross:

Mate the male pigeon with the test cross partner.

Observe the Offspring:

If all the offspring display checkered wings and red feathers, it suggests that the male pigeon is homozygous dominant for both traits.

If there is a 1:1 ratio of offspring with checkered wings and red feathers to those with non-checkered wings and non-red feathers, it suggests that the male pigeon is heterozygous.

By analyzing the phenotypes of the offspring in the test cross, you can make an inference about the genotype of the male pigeon for both traits in a single generation.