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Santa Monica College
BIOL 10
WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION GENETICS – WEEK 2
Researchers at the Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute offering genotyping services focused on genetic
application for wildlife, conservation, management, research, and forensics.
Throughout the years, conservation biology has worked more and more closely with species’ genetics.
Wildlife and conservation genetics allow us to better protect our species for multiple reasons. In
conservation projects where breeders are chosen in an effort to increase population size, it is important
to avoid above-average cases of inherited disorders that may harm the population in the long run. Such
a project would also need to look into genetic diversity and choose breeders that would not contribute
to inbreeding depression. As a last example, genetics can also improve the work of conservation
biologists in their selection of individuals for reintroduction in the wild, based on their genetic features
and adaptability.
This week we will be working with monohybrid and dihybrid genetic problems. We will work to
determine the phenotypes and possible genotypes of multiple species found in the wild. All traits listed
below are accurate and possible in a population. It is important to understand, however, that these are
examples of simple inheritance traits, meaning that the expressed trait is a result of a single gene.
Though these were the same type of traits studied by Mendel (and presented in most biology
textbooks), this phenomenon is rare in real life. Most inherited traits are complex, meaning either one
gene controls several traits and/or many genes influence a single trait. Show your work for each
problem (including Punnet squares, where applicable) on your lab notebook.
Source of genetic information: OMIA (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals) – The University of Sydney.
Santa Monica College
BIOL 10
Monohybrid case scenarios
1. A male and a female humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) are heterozygous for albinism,
a recessive disorder that causes absence of pigmentation. What are the chances that their
offspring will not be albino?
2. The long hair of llamas (Lama glama) is determined by one particular gene, specifically a
recessive allele. If a male long-haired llama and a heterozygous short-haired llama mate, what
are the chances that its offspring will inherit long hair?
3. Krabbe disease is a rare and often fatal condition that results in the progressive damage to the
nervous system. The recessive allele causing this disease has been found in Rhesus monkeys
(Macaca mulatta). If the mating male and females Rhesus monkeys are both carriers of the
Krabbe disease, what are the chances that their offspring should inherit such condition?
4. A recessive allele found in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) is responsible for a genetic
disorder that causes spontaneous abortion. If a male largemouth bass is a carrier of this disorder
and the female is homozygous dominant, what are the chances that their offspring would inherit
this disorder?
5. Galactosemia is a rare metabolic condition that does not allow newborn offspring to process
galactose, a sugar found in milk. This condition is due to a recessive allele and has been detected
in kangaroos (Macropus sp.) Suppose a joey (young kangaroo) is born with galactosemia.
Considering that the parents do not have galactosemia, what are the chances that both are
heterozygous (carriers) for this trait?
Dihybrid case scenarios
6. A recessive allele responsible for the Chediak-Higashi syndrome has been detected in American
minks (Neovison vison). This syndrome affects the immune system, leaving the animal less able
to fight off invaders such as viruses and bacteria. A second recessive allele (from another gene)
is known to cause deafness in American mink. Suppose a male American mink does not have the
Chediak-Higashi syndrome but his mother did. Suppose he was also deaf. This male mates with a
female who has Chediak-Higashi syndrome but is not deaf. This mating female’s father,
however, was also deaf. What are the chances that:
a. Their offspring would inherit deafness and Chediak-Higashi syndrome?
b. Would neither inherit deafness nor Chediak-Higashi syndrome?
c. Would not inherit deafness but would inherit Chediak-Higashi syndrome?
7.
A female baboon (Papio sp.) has blood type B, while her mother had blood type O. Her mate
has blood type A, while his father had blood type O. The Rh group is not linked to the ABO
system. It is a two-allele group, with positive dominant over negative. The female baboon is
negative. Her mate is positive, while his mother was negative. What are the chances that their
offspring will be AB negative?
Source of genetic information: OMIA (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals) – The University of Sydney.
Santa Monica College
BIOL 10
8. The golden coat color of the tiger (Panthera tigris) is determined by a dominant allele. A
recessive allele (from another gene) in these tigers causes a disorder in their taste buds, in
which they lack sweet taste. A male tiger is homozygous for golden coat color and lacks sweet
taste. His mate does not have a golden coat color and is a carrier for lacking sweet taste. What
are the chances that their offspring has neither a golden coat color nor lack of sweet taste?
9. Both papular atrichia and colorectal cancer are recessive traits found in Rhesus monkeys
(Macaca mulatta). Papular atrichia is a diffuse hair loss syndrome, while colorectal cancer is a
type of cancer that begins in the large intestine. Suppose both male and female Rhesus monkeys
are heterozygous for popular atrichia and colorectal cancer. What are the chances that their
offspring will inherit:
a. Both papular atrichia and colorectal cancer
b. Neither popular atrichia and colorectal cancer
Source of genetic information: OMIA (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Animals) – The University of Sydney.
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