Reflecting on Genetic Phenomenon: Co-Dominance in Cattle Breeding

What happens when you cross a red bull with a roan cow?

What are the expected percentages of red cow, roan cow, and white cow in the offspring?

Answer:

The results of the Punnett square show that there is a 50% chance that the offspring will be a red cow. The chances for a roan cow will also be 50%. The chances for a white cow will be 0%. This kind of phenomenon is termed as co-dominance, where the dominant allele is not fully dominant over the recessive allele.

When a red bull is crossed with a roan cow, the resulting Punnett square illustrates the distribution of alleles and the possible outcomes for the offspring. In this case, the alleles of the red cow are represented as CR, CR, while the genes of the roan cow are represented as CR and CW.

By filling out the Punnett square, we can see that there is an equal likelihood of producing a red cow or a roan cow, each with a 50% chance. However, the chances of obtaining a white cow are 0% in this scenario.

Co-dominance, as demonstrated in this genetic cross, shows that both alleles contribute to the phenotype of the offspring without one being completely dominant over the other. This results in a unique blend of characteristics from the parent animals.