Question

Brown mice disappear from the mouse population for two generations and then reappear in the third generation. Give two possible explanations for how they can reappear after being absent from the population.

Answer 1

The trait is inherited in the homozygous recessive pattern

Possible mating is between two heterozygous individuals

Step-by-step explanation:

One possible explanation for this is that the trait for this brown mice has to inherited in the homozygous recessive condition. It is possible for this trait to skip two generations and then reappear if it has to be inherited in the homozygous recessive condition.

Another explanation to complement the first is that for this trait to reappear, there was mating between two heterozygous individuals (with one allele being domiant and the other being recessive). It is possible that all matings within the two skipped generations was between an heterozygous and a homozygous dominant or between two homozygous dominant individuals which will not produce the brown mice..