Drosophila (fruit flies)usually have long wings (+ is the symbol used to represent this allele),but mutations in two different genes can result in bent wings (bt)or vestigial wings (vg).In symbolizing fruit fly alleles,it is common to use two letters as opposed to only one.If a homozygous bent wing fly is mated with a homozygous vestigial wing fly,which of the following offspring would you expect?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since bent wings (bt) and vestigial wings (vg) are caused by mutations in two different genes, when homozygous individuals for each mutation are crossed, all offspring will inherit one mutant allele for each gene, making them heterozygous for both traits. However, without information on dominance or epistasis, we cannot assume the phenotypic outcome, so the description of the phenotype in choice A is incorrect. The correct aspect of choice A is the genetic composition of the offspring, not their phenotype.

Drosophila (Fruit Flies)usually Have Long Wings (+ Is the Symbol