Susan, a mother with type B blood, has a child with type O blood. She claims that Craig, who has type A blood, is the father. He claims that he cannot possibly be the father. Further blood tests ordered by the judge reveal that Craig has genotype AA. What can we predict about the judge's ruling?
A)Susan is right and Craig will be ordered to pay child support.
B)Craig is right and will not be ordered to pay child support.
C)Susan cannot be the real mother of the child; an error was likely made at the hospital.
D)Craig is likely to be the father but the blood tests are inadequate proof.
E)The judge will not be able to reach a decision based on the limited data available.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since Craig has genotype AA, he can only pass on the A allele to his children. Therefore, he cannot be the father of a child with type O blood, which requires two O alleles from the parents. This blood typing evidence is sufficient for the judge to rule that Craig is not the father and cannot be ordered to pay child support. The possibility of an error in hospital blood typing or other factors that could complicate the case is not relevant to this particular evidence.

Susan, a Mother with Type B Blood, Has a Child