Question

In hawks, the gene for feather color follows an incomplete dominance patter. The allele B produce black feathers. The allele W produces white feathers. A hawk with the genotype BW is crossed with a hawk with genotype BB


What is the phenotype of the hawk with genotype BW?

Answer 1

This question involves a gene coding for feather colour in some birds in which the black allele (B) and white allele (W) is involved. According to the question the gene coding for feather colour exhibits co-dominance i.e. both the black (B) and white (W) allele are expressed in a heterozygous state (BW) to form an erminette phenotype.

Hence if the neither alleles is dominant or recessive over the other. The black phenotype will only be expressed when the genotype is BB.

The white phenotype will only be expressed when the genotype is WW

The combination of both alleles which results in the simultaneous expression of both in the erminette phenotype will be BW genotype.