Question

A group of white-tailed deer live in a forested area around a neighborhood. One of the deer is an albino female that recently gave birth to twin fawns. The mother deer and her offspring are shown.

An adult albino deer with white fur and red eyes is with two brown fawns.

The neighbors want to know why the albino deer did not produce albino offspring. Which three questions should the neighbors ask a geneticist to determine how deer color is inherited? Which 3 responses are correct?

Responses

A. Is the gene for the albino trait recessive or dominant?
Determining whether the albino trait is recessive or dominant will help in determining how it is passed from parent to offspring.

A. Is the gene for the albino trait recessive or dominant? Determining whether the albino trait is recessive or dominant will help in determining how it is passed from parent to offspring.

B. Does the genotype of the father affect the coat color of the fawns?
Determining how the gene is inherited will help in determining how the coat color i
is passed from parent to offspring.

B. Does the genotype of the father affect the coat color of the fawns? Determining how the gene is inherited will help in determining how the coat color i is passed from parent to offspring.

C. Can deer have the albino gene without expressing the phenotype?
Determining whether the genotype can contain the gene for albinism without
being expressed in the phenotype will help in determining how the coat
color is passed from parent to offspring
C. Can deer have the albino gene without expressing the phenotype? Determining whether the genotype can contain the gene for albinism without being expressed in the phenotype will help in determining how the coat color is passed from parent to offspring

D. Can parasitic ticks change the expression of the gene for coat color?
The gene for coat color is inherited, not influenced by the environment,
so this question will not help in determining how coat color is passed from parent
to offspring.

D. Can parasitic ticks change the expression of the gene for coat color? The gene for coat color is inherited, not influenced by the environment, so this question will not help in determining how coat color is passed from parent to offspring.

E. Do the pesticides on the grass cause the deer to change coat colors?
The gene for deer coat color is inherited, not environmental, so this question will not help in determining how the gene for coat
colors passed from parent to offspring.

Answer 1

The correct three are A, B, and C.

- A (Is the gene recessive or dominant?) — helps predict offspring phenotypes from parental genotypes.
- B (Does the genotype of the father affect the coat color of the fawns?) — yes: both parents’ genotypes determine offspring genotype.
- C (Can deer have the albino gene without expressing the phenotype?) — asks about carriers/incomplete penetrance, which explains how non‑albino parents can produce albino offspring.