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From: kuento@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: A Genetics Question
Message-ID: <28306.27a9e8b7@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu>
Date: 2 Feb 91 04:16:23 GMT
References: <480sis-b@massey.ac.nz>
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services
Lines: 28

In article <480sis-b@massey.ac.nz>, S.Burger@massey.ac.nz (Sarah Burger) writes:
> I was wondering whether anyone could determine the probable colour
> of a foal. The sire is a bay - his sire is a bay, dam is a chestnut.
> The dam is a palomino - her sire is a palomino, dam is a chestnut.
> 
> Any guesses as to what colour this ( as yet theoretical ) foal might be?
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> Sarah Burger
> School of Information Sciences
> Massey University
> New Zealand

Okay - this is simple *IF* you make a set of simplifying assumptions
(I know nothing about the genetics of horse coloration, so I *have* to
make these assumptions to answer the question!): if we assume that
there is one color locus, that each alternative color is an allele at
this locus, that there is no sex-linkage, epistasis, or codominance
involved, THEN:
 There is a 25% chance for chestnut (both recessives), a 25% chance
for bay (bay is dominant to chestnut), a 25% chance for palomino
(palomino is also dominant to chestnut), and a 25% chance for whatever
it is that you get when you cross a bay and a palomino - and you don't
give enough information to know in advance what that might be.
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