Matt breeds and sells snakes. He knows that he can make the most money by breeding and selling albino snakes. Albinism is a recessive trait. His female albino corn snake just produced six offspring. Two displayed normal coloration and four were albino. What is the chance that another offspring produced by the same parents will be albino?
A) 0%
B) 25%
C) 50%
D) 75%
E) 100%

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Given that albinism is a recessive trait and the offspring ratio is 2 normal to 4 albino, it suggests that both parents are heterozygous (carrying one allele for albinism and one for normal coloration). The Punnett square for such a cross predicts a 1:2:1 ratio for offspring genotypes, which translates to a 3:1 phenotype ratio (3 showing the dominant or normal trait for every 1 showing the recessive or albino trait). However, since albinism is observed in 4 out of 6 offspring, it indicates that the actual observed ratio aligns with a 50% chance for albinism in any given offspring, as the question specifically asks about the chance for another offspring to be albino, not the distribution of the already born offspring.

Matt Breeds and Sells Snakes