In rabbits, white fur (W) is dominant to black (w), and long ears (E) are dominant to short ears (e). A breeder mates two rabbits that are heterozygous (WwEe) for both traits.

Question

What is the chance that the offspring will be black with short ears?
(You may use the easy quick method to solve. Hint= set up 2 monohybrid crosses and multiply the results)

a
1/16
b
3/16
c
6/12
d
9/16

Answer 1

To determine the chance that the offspring will be black with short ears from a cross between two rabbits that are heterozygous (WwEe) for both traits, we can use the quick method by setting up two separate monohybrid crosses.

Step 1: Determine the chances for each trait.

1. Fur Color (Ww):

   • W (white) is dominant to w (black).
   • Possible gametes: W or w.
   • The offspring's genotypes in a Ww x Ww cross would be:
     • WW (white): 1/4
     • Ww (white): 2/4
     • ww (black): 1/4
   • Probability of black fur (ww): 1/4

2. Ear Length (Ee):

   • E (long) is dominant to e (short).
   • Possible gametes: E or e.
   • The offspring's genotypes in an Ee x Ee cross would be:
     • EE (long): 1/4
     • Ee (long): 2/4
     • ee (short): 1/4
   • Probability of short ears (ee): 1/4

Step 2: Calculate the probability of both traits occurring simultaneously.

Now we multiply the probabilities of getting black fur and short ears:

\[ \text{Probability (black fur and short ears)} = \text{Probability (ww)} \times \text{Probability (ee)} = \left(\frac{1}{4}\right) \times \left(\frac{1}{4}\right) = \frac{1}{16} \]

Conclusion

The chance that the offspring will be black with short ears is:

a) 1/16

Therefore, the correct answer is a) 1/16.