Question

A farmer raises black and white chickens. To his surprise, when the first generation of eggs hatch, all the chickens are black with white speckles throughout their feathers. What should the farmer expect when the eggs laid after interbreeding the speckled chickens hatch?

a) All black chickens
b) Some black and some white chickens
c) All speckled chickens
d) A mix of black, white, and speckled chickens

Answer 1

When speckled chickens resulting from a cross of pure black and white chickens interbreed, the farmer may expect more speckled offspring along with possible black and white chickens depending on the genetics involved, as the speckled phenotype suggests incomplete dominance or codominance.

Step-by-step explanation:

The scenario described in the question pertains to genetics and inheritance patterns within biology. When a farmer notices that all first-generation chickens are black with white speckles, it indicates a speckled phenotype resulting from the cross of pure black and white chickens, assuming black and white are true-breeding strains. When these speckled chickens interbreed, the resulting offspring's phenotypes will depend on the underlying genetic mechanisms, which are not provided in the question. However, if we were to apply simple Mendelian genetics, and the speckled pattern is due to incomplete dominance or codominance, the farmer might expect a variety of phenotypes including more speckled chickens, as well as some black and white chickens, if those traits are not completely masked in the speckled condition.