In order to determine whether the tenth mouse is more likely to be white than the first mouse, we need to consider the genetic principles involved, specifically those related to inheritance and the traits of the parent mice.
Assuming the two brown mice carry recessive genes for white fur, the likelihood of their offspring inheriting the white trait depends on the specific genotype of the parents. If both brown mice are heterozygous (Bb, where "B" represents the allele for brown fur and "b" represents the allele for white fur), then they can produce offspring in a Mendelian fashion.
The possible genotype combinations for their offspring would be:
- BB (brown)
- Bb (brown)
- Bb (brown)
- bb (white)
In this scenario, 25% of the offspring would be expected to be white (bb), regardless of whether it's the first or the tenth mouse. The probability for each individual mouse being white remains constant at 25%.
Therefore, the tenth mouse is not more likely to be white than the first mouse; both have the same probability of being white. The genetic makeup and probability remain the same for each offspring, independent of their order.
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