A heterozygous fruit fly with normal wings and a gray body ( VvBb ) is crossed with homozygous flies with vestigial wings and black bodies ( vvbb ). Out of 800 total F₁ progeny, 296 are normal gray, 328 are vestigial black, 99 are normal black, and 77 are vestigial gray. What is the best explanation for this result? A) The loci for wing length and body color are on different chromosomes. B) The loci for wing length and body color are on sex chromosomes. C) The loci for wing length and body color are on the same chromosome. D) Mendel's principle of independent assortment accounts for this. E) Mendel's principle of segregation accounts for this.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The distribution of phenotypes suggests that the genes for wing length and body color are linked (on the same chromosome), leading to non-Mendelian ratios in the offspring. This linkage disrupts the expected 1:1:1:1 ratio for independent assortment, resulting in an uneven distribution of phenotypes.

A Heterozygous Fruit Fly with Normal Wings and a Gray