Final answer:
The claim that genetic interference is not common is false; genetic interference plays a significant role in chromosomal crossover during meiosis, affecting the inheritance and predicted frequency of recombinant offspring based on gene location and other factors.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement "Genetic interference is not very common" is false. Genetic interference refers to the phenomenon where the presence of one crossover event can influence the occurrence and distribution of other crossovers, which can affect the predicted frequency of recombinant offspring. While it was once thought that crossovers were independent, research has shown that interference is quite common. The occurrence of chromosomal crossover during meiosis indeed leads to the inheritance of a mix of genetic material, resulting in offspring with combinations of traits from both parents.
This recombination event can be quite variable in frequency and location. Factors like the distance between genes on a chromosome can affect crossover rates. If genes are located very far from each other on a chromosome, the predicted frequency of recombinant offspring can exceed the expected 50%, which would be expected for completely unlinked genes. Therefore, the statement asserting the infrequency of genetic interference does not reflect the complexity of meiotic recombination processes.