If both parents express a particular trait, but their child does not, what does this indicate about the trait?
A) The trait is an autosomal dominant trait.
B) The trait is an autosomal recessive trait.
C) The trait is sex-linked recessive.
D) The trait is sex-linked dominant.
E) This is a lethal trait.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If both parents express a particular trait but their child does not, it indicates that the trait is likely an autosomal dominant trait. This is because, for a dominant trait to be expressed, only one copy of the dominant allele is needed. If both parents have the trait (and thus at least one dominant allele each), they could still pass on their recessive alleles to their child, who would then not express the dominant trait.

If Both Parents Express a Particular Trait, but Their Child