A male rabbit has white hair, and a female has brown hair. What do you think the most likely color of their offspring is?
Answer (3)
Depends on which trait is dominant or recessive. Also depends on the alleles each parent has. Most likely, the offspring will be the color of the dominant allele.
The most likely color of the offspring from a white-haired male and brown-haired female rabbit depends on the dominance of the brown fur trait and whether the female is homozygous or heterozygous. Brown fur is usually dominant, but other factors such as natural selection and diversifying selection can influence fur color prevalence.
The color of the offspring from a white-haired male rabbit and a brown-haired female rabbit could depend on the genetics involved. Since most wild rabbits have brown fur because their DNA contains a gene for tyrosinase, an enzyme which makes the pigment melanin, brown fur is likely the dominant trait. If the brown-haired female is homozygous for the brown fur trait (BB), all offspring will have brown fur. If she is heterozygous (Bb), and the white fur in the male rabbit is a recessive trait (bb), the offspring have a 50% chance of being brown (Bb) and a 50% chance of being white (bb).
In regions where white fur is a beneficial trait, such as the Arctic, natural selection favors rabbits with white fur. However, in a hypothetical population where blending with rocky environments is advantageous, diversifying selection might favor gray and Himalayan rabbits over white ones, leading to a change in the population's phenotype distribution.
The offspring's fur color will depend on the genotypes of the parents. If the brown-haired female rabbit is homozygous (BB), all offspring will be brown. If she is heterozygous (Bb), there would be a 50% chance for brown and a 50% chance for white offspring.
;
