In a species of rabbits, there are three dominant phenotypes: black, grey, and white. A biologist notices that when a black rabbit and a white rabbit mate, the offspring is grey. What pattern of inheritance does this model? Why?

Question

Responses

Incomplete dominance; the offspring are a mixture of each parent's phenotype
Incomplete dominance; the offspring are a mixture of each parent's phenotype

Sex-linked trait; it shows that coat color is carried on the Y chromosome.
Sex-linked trait; it shows that coat color is carried on the Y chromosome.

Codominance; the offspring have both black and white spots
Codominance; the offspring have both black and white spots

Crossing over; each parent traded chromosome parts with their parents in the process of creating a baby rabbit

Answer 1

The correct response is:

Incomplete dominance; the offspring are a mixture of each parent's phenotype.

In this scenario, the black rabbit and white rabbit produce grey offspring, which suggests that the phenotypes of the parents blend to create a new phenotype (grey), rather than one phenotype completely masking the other (which would be the case in complete dominance) or both being expressed simultaneously (codominance). Therefore, this is an example of incomplete dominance.