Cats normally have a total of 18 toes, 5 on each front paw and 4 on each back paw. But some cats express the dominant phenotype for polydactyly, which results in the development of extra toes on one or more paws. Jake, a Canadian tabby cat, has 28 toes and is recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the cat with the most toes.
Suppose that Jake mates with a female cat, Lucy, who has 18 total toes. Over several years, they have multiple litters and a total of 16 kittens (10 males and 6 females). The total number of toes on each kitten ranges from 21 to 25.
-One of Jake and Lucy's kittens mates with another cat that has 18 total toes. What is the probability that one of their offspring would have 18 total toes?
A) 100%
B) 75%
C) 50%
D) 0%

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since one parent has extra toes (polydactyly), the offspring has a 50% chance of inheriting the dominant allele for polydactyly and expressing the phenotype with extra toes. Therefore, the probability of the offspring having 18 total toes is 50%.

Cats Normally Have a Total of 18 Toes, 5 on Each