Final answer:
Drosophila melanogaster is a model organism used in genetic studies due to its quick life cycle and easily observable mutations. The wild-type traits, like gray body and red eyes, are dominant, which is why all F1 progeny in a cross between wild-type males and mutant females showed wild-type phenotypes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Drosophila melanogaster, commonly known as the fruit fly, is a model organism used extensively for genetic studies due to several advantageous characteristics.
It is known for its rapid life cycle, large numbers of offspring, and a well-understood genetic makeup with readily observable mutations, such as changes in body color and eye color.
One important aspect of its genetics is the study of X-linked traits, like eye color, which was mapped to the X chromosome by Thomas Hunt Morgan in 1910.
In a specific cross between a true-breeding male with wild-type phenotype (gray body and red eyes) and a true-breeding female with a mutant phenotype (black body and cinnabar eyes), all F1 progeny exhibited the wild-type phenotype.
This indicates that the wild-type traits for body color and eye color are dominant over the mutant traits. The gray body and red eye phenotypes in Drosophila are known to be dominant and typical of the wild-type flies, which helps explain the results of the cross.
This example highlights the ease of studying Mendelian genetics using Drosophila as key features of inheritance, such as dominance and recessiveness, are clearly exhibited.