Independent assortment predicts a 9:3:3:1 ratio with four different phenotypes in the F₂ progeny. If the alleles are epistatic, what would you predict?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If the alleles are epistatic, they would interact with each other and affect the expression of certain genes. This would result in fewer than four phenotypes because some of the expected phenotypes would be masked by the interaction between the alleles. For example, if one allele is dominant and masks the expression of the other allele, then only two phenotypes (dominant and recessive) would be observed instead of the expected four.

Independent Assortment Predicts a 9:3:3:1 Ratio with Four Different Phenotypes