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Epistasis is observed when the allele of one gene masks the effects of another gene. Use the Punnett square to answer the question.

What color would a dog's fur be if its genes are aabb?

(1 point)
Responses

brown
brown

black
black

yellow
yellow

white

1 answer

In genetics, the expression of traits such as fur color is often determined by specific alleles at multiple gene loci. In this question, we have two genes represented by the alleles 'A' and 'B'. The notation 'aabb' indicates that the dog has recessive alleles for both genes.

To determine the color of the dog's fur based on the 'aabb' genotype, we need information about how the alleles affect fur color. Typically, in many dog breeds:

  • 'A' or 'a' might represent the color (e.g., brown or black).
  • 'B' or 'b' might represent another trait affecting color expression (e.g., yellow).

For example:

  • AA or Aa could represent black fur.
  • bb could represent a yellow fur trait.
  • aa combined with bb could indicate a different color trait.

Since in your case the genotype is 'aabb', this means both genes are recessive. In many cases, this genotype leads to a yellow fur color, as this combination typically results in the masking of the darker colors (e.g., black or brown).

So, if a dog's genes are 'aabb', the fur color would most likely be yellow.