Non-Mendelian
Genetics
Non-Mendelian Genetics
Non-Mendelian Genetics do not follow
Mendel’s Laws:
◦ Principle of Dominance – the dominant allele
is masks the recessive allele
Two types of Non-Mendelian Genetics
◦ Incomplete dominance
◦ Codominance
Other special genetic cases
◦ Multiple Alleles
◦ Sex-linked traits
Incomplete Dominance
In some cases, one allele will not be
completely dominant over the
other allele.
◦ Results in a blending of the two alleles
A red snapdragon is crossed with a white
snapdragon and the resulting offspring
will all be pink
Incomplete Dominance
Example
Andulsian fowls exhibit
incomplete dominance.
Black individuals (B) and
White individuals (W) are
both homozygous and
heterozygous individuals
(BW) are a bluish gray.
Draw a Punnett square
and give the genotypic
and phenotypic ratios of
a cross between bluish
gray birds
Codominance
Insome cases, both alleles are dominant
and expressed at the same time
◦ Generally results in a spotted appearance
Inchickens, black chickens crossed with
white chickens result in erminette chickens
which have black and white feathers
Codominance Example
The Asian flower Camellia exhibits
codominance in the form of white spots.
If a white flower is crossed with a pink
and white flower, what are the
genotypic and phenotypic ratios of the
offspring?
Multiple Alleles
In some cases, more than just 2
alleles exist in the population.
◦ The gene is said to have multiple alleles
◦ The multiple alleles can follow any of the
inheritance patterns that we have talked
about
Example – Blood Types
◦ IA
◦ IB
◦ i (type O blood in homozygous state)
◦ IA and IB are codominant to each other and
dominant to i
Multiple Allele Example
Cross a man with type AB Blood
with a woman that has type O
blood. What kinds of blood types
could their children have?
Phenotyp
Genotype
e
O ii
A IAIA IAi
IB IB IB i
B
AB IAIB
Sex Linked Traits
The sex chromosomes are referred
to as X or Y
◦ Males are XY
◦ Females are XX
Somes genes are only present on one
of the sex chromsomes (usually the X)
◦ XAXa - female with recessive allele, but dominant
phenotype
◦ XaY - male with recessive allele and recessive
phenotype
Examples – color blindness, male
pattern baldness
Sex Linked Trait Example
Hemophilia is a rare hereditary human
disease of the blood in which the blood
does not clot properly. A normal man
marries a normal woman and they have
a son with hemophilia. Can they have a
daughter with hemophilia? Show your
work using a Punnett square.
◦ Dad XHY
◦ Mom _______
◦ Son XhY
◦ Daughter ???
Polygenic traits
Traits that are the results of two
or more genes.
Examples: human skin color, eye
color, and height
Polygenic practice
problem
Skin color in humans is determined by a polygenic inheritance
system, possibly involving involving as many as 9 genes. For
simplicity let’s consider the influence of 3 genes: A, B, and C,
where the dominant allele darkens skin color. Suppose a women
who is AABbCc mates with a man who is AaBbcc.
A. List all of the possible genotypes of the gametes that could be
produced by each the parents?
: ______________ : _______________
B. Draw a Punnett square that shows the genotypes possible, and
number each genotype from lightest (1) to darkest skin
coloration.
C. In this cross, how many dominant alleles will children with the
darkest skin coloration possess, and what theoretical fraction of
the children will have this coloration?
# of alleles: ____ fraction: _____
Epistasis
The ability of one gene to
overshadow or overpower the
expression of other genes.
Examples: albinism, fur color in
Labrador retrievers
Labrador Retrievers
Furcolor in Labrador Retrievers is
controlled by two separate genes.
◦ Fur color is a polygenic trait!
Gene 1: Represented by B
: Controls color
Gene 2: Represented by E
: Controls expression of B
Labrador Retrievers
Ifa Labrador
retriever has a
dominant B allele,
they will have black
fur.
Ifthey have two
recessive alleles (bb)
they will have brown
fur.
Labrador Retrievers
Ifa retriever receives at least one
dominant “E” allele, they will remain
the color that the “B” allele coded
for.
◦ Either black of brown
However, if a dog receives a pair of
homozygous recessive “e” alleles,
they will be golden regardless of
their “B” alleles!
Labrador Retrievers
BBEE and BbEe --> Black retrievers
bbEE and bbEe --> Brown retrievers
BBee, Bbee, or bbee --> Golden
retrievers
Try this cross…
You have decided to cross your
golden retriever (bbee) with the
neighbor’s chocolate retriever
(bbEe). What color pups will they
have?
