Question

In giraffes, long necks (N), long legs (L), dark spots (D), and the ability to digest meat (M) are all

dominant traits. What possible genotype could a long-necked, short-legged, light-spotted,
meat-digesting giraffe have?
A) NNllddmm
B) NNLLDdMm
C) NnllddMM
D) nnLLddMM

Answer 1

A long-necked, short-legged, light-spotted, meat-digesting giraffe would have a genotype of NnllddMM, with a combination of dominant and recessive alleles reflecting the heterozygous and homozygous traits.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the case of a long-necked, short-legged, light-spotted, meat-digesting giraffe, the possible genotype this individual could have is NnllddMM. Let's break down the phenotypes to explain this:

• Long necks (N) are dominant, and the giraffe is long-necked, so it must have at least one dominant allele (Nn or NN).
• Long legs (L) are dominant, but this giraffe has short legs, which is the recessive phenotype, so it must have two recessive alleles (ll).
• Dark spots (D) are dominant, and since this giraffe has light spots, this is the recessive phenotype, meaning it has two recessive alleles (dd).
• The ability to digest meat (M) is dominant, and as the giraffe can digest meat, it must have at least one dominant allele (Mm or MM).

Combining these, we get the genotype NnllddMM which shows it is a heterozygote for neck length and a homozygote for leg length, spot pigmentation, and meat digestion abilities.