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Period
Dragon Genetics
In this activity you will further explore the ways that genes
pass from one generation to the next using (imaginary) dragons
and their traits. Each dragon has two sets of homologous
chromosomes (one from the father, and one from the mother)
that make up their genome. The genes on these chromosomes
code for either dominant or recessive alleles. Each allele from
the father combines with the corresponding allele from the
mother to form either a homozygous dominant, homozygous
recessive, or heterozygous genotype. The genotype dictates
which phenotype is expressed.
In this exercise, you and your partner will represent the
father and mother dragon. Before you pair up, you will each use a
coin flipping technique to determine which alleles you will pass
on to your baby dragon. After each parent has determined their
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Partners Name
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genome you will combine the two sets to determine the babys
genotype and phenotype for each trait.
Wings
(A/a)
Fins
(F/f)
Eye color
(G/g)
Ear shape
(E/e)
Toe number
(T/t)
Tail length
(L/l)
Neck length
(N/n)
Poison fangs
(D/d)
Fire
breathing
(B/b)
Skin color
(Q/q)
Horn length
Dominant
allele
Recessive
allele
(HEADS)
(TAILS)
Large wings
(A)
No fins (F)
Small wings
(a)
Fins (f)
Green (G)
Gold (g)
Pointy ears
(E)
Five toes (T)
Round ears
(e)
Four toes (t)
Short neck
Long neck (n)
(N)
No poison (D) Poison (d)
Fire (B)
No fire (b)
Black skin
(Q)
Long horns
Green skin
(q)
Short horns
Parental
allele
Can we tell
the parents
phenotype?
Your Name
Partners Name
Period
(H/h)
Skin texture
(M/m)
Tail spike
(N/n)
Tongue fork
(R/r)
(H)
Scaled skin
(M)
Spiked tail
(N)
Unforked
tongue (R)
(h)
Leather skin
(m)
Unspiked tail
(n)
Forked
tongue (r)
Parental
Genotype
XX or XY
1st parental
allele (heads)
2nd parental
allele (tails)
Babys allele
Your Name
Partners Name
Period
Trait
Wings
(A/a)
Fins
(F/f)
Eye color
(G/g)
Ear shape
(E/e)
Toe
number
(T/t)
Tail length
(L/l)
Neck
length
(N/n)
Poison
fangs
(D/d)
Fire
Mother
allele
Father
allele
Babys
genotyp
e
Homozygous
(dominant/reces
sive) or
heterozygous
Babys
phenotyp
e?
Your Name
Partners Name
Period
breathing
(B/b)
Skin color
(Q/q)
Horn
length
(H/h)
Skin
texture
(M/m)
Tail spike
(N/n)
Tongue
fork
(R/r)
Gender
(XX/XY)