Suppose that spottedness in genets is a trait whose expression is controlled by

Question

Suppose that spottedness in genets is a trait whose expression is controlled by genomic imprinting. The allele of the male parent is expressed.
Two male genets, Hoover and Bruce, have spots. Hoover was from a litter that contained both spotted and unspotted genets. Hoover’s mother was known to be homozygous for the spotted allele. Bruce was from a litter of 5 spotted genets. Bruce’s parents were a spotted male and an unspotted female.
Bruce and Hoover were put into an enclosure with two females, Darla and Cassandra. Darla is unspotted but Cassandra has spots. Darla and Cassandra were from the same litter, but their parents’ phenotypes are unknown.
After 3 months, Darla gave birth to two spotted and three unspotted babies. Shortly thereafter, Cassandra had three spotted and two unspotted kits.
Assuming there is a single father for each litter, which male(s) mated with Darla and with Cassandra? Create pedigrees for both Hoover and Bruce’s families to explain your answer and to demonstrate the transmission and expression of the spotted and unspotted alleles.

Explanation / Answer

Bruce ia the father of the two litters by Darla and Cassandra. He inheried the spotted gene from his spotted father and passed on to the babies. But Hoover inherited the gene from his mother. As the litter in which he was born contained both spotted and unspotted siblings and his mother was homozygous his father must be unspotted. His mating with Cassandra could not produce spotted babies.

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