Basic Punnett Squares

Directions: Read each problem carefully. Make a “key” for the trait, identify the parents involved in the
on each side of the square. Using the Punnett square give the percentages of each possible phenotypic
outcome.
Before you begin, define the following terms:

 Homozygous-
 Heterozygous-
 Phenotype-
 Genotype-
 Dominant-
 Recessive-

1. In rabbits, black fur is dominant over white fur. Show the cross of a heterozygous black
male with a homozygous white female.

Key: B – Black w - white

B w
w Bw ww
Offspring phenotypes with percentages:
w Bw ww
Heterozygous Black 50%
Homozygous White 50%

2. Espresso is dominant to mocha in Starbucks’. Show the cross of a homozygous espresso

Starbucks with a homozygous mocha Starbucks.

Key: E – Espresso m - Mocha

E m
m Em mm
Offspring phenotypes with percentages:
m Em mm
Heterozygous Espresso 50%
Homozygous Mocha 50%

3. In humans, free-ear lobes are dominant to attached. Two parents that are both heterozygous
free are expecting a child. What are the chances that the child will have free ear lobes of
attached?

Key: F – Free-ear lobes a - Attached

F a
F FF Fa
Offspring phenotypes with percentages:
a Fa aa
Homozygous Free-ear lobe – 25%
Heterozygous Free-ear lobe – 50%
Homozygous Attached – 25%
 4.Wrinkled seeds are recessive to smooth seeds. Show a plant that is homozygous for wrinkled
seeds crossed with a heterozygous smooth seed producing plant.

Key: S – Smooth Seeds w - Wrinkled w w

S Sw Sw
Offspring phenotypes with percentages:
w ww ww
Heterozygous Smooth – 50%
Homozygous Wrinkled – 50%

5. As in the previous problem… Show a heterozygous smooth plant crossed with another
heterozygous smooth seed producing plant.

Key: S – Smooth Seeds w - Wrinkled

S w
Offspring phenotypes with percentages: S SS Sw

Homozygous Smooth – 25% w Sw ww

Heterozygous Smooth – 50%
Homozygous Wrinkled – 25%

6. Blue eyes are dominant to red eyes in rabbits. Show a heterozygous blue-eyed rabbit
crossed with a red-eyed rabbit.

Key: B – blue eyes r – Red eyes B r

r Br rr
Offspring phenotypes with percentages:
r Br rr
Heterozygous Blue – 50%
Homozygous red – 50%
 7. In fruit flies, red eyes are dominant over white eyes. Show a cross between two white-eyed
fruit flies.

Key: R – red eyes w – white eyes w w

w ww ww
Offspring phenotypes with percentages:
w ww ww
Homozygous White eyes – 100%
 Codominance and Incomplete Dominance Punnett
Squares
Directions: Fill in the appropriate Punnett squares and write the possible phenotypic outcomes and
include percentages.
1. In dragons, red scales and blue scales are dominant to green scales. Show the cross of a
heterozygous red scaled dragon with a homozygous blue scaled dragon.

Key: R- red scales B – Blue scales g – Green scales R g

B BR Bg
Offspring phenotypes with percentages:
g Rg gg
Codominance– 25%
Heterozygous Red – 25%
Heterozygous Blue – 25%
Homozygous Green – 25%

2. In a flowering plant, red and white flowers are both dominant alleles and express incomplete
dominance. Show the cross of a homozygous red flowered plant and a homozygous white
flowered plant.

Key: R – Red flowers W- white flowers R R

W RW RW
Offspring phenotypes with percentages:
W RW RW
Heterozygous mix/Incomplete, Pink – 100%

3. In birds, blue and white feathers are both dominant to brown feathers. Show the cross of a
heterozygous blue bird with a heterozygous white bird.

Key: B – blue feathers W - white feathers b – brown feathers B b

W BW Wb
Offspring phenotypes with percentages:
b Bb bb
Codominance – 25%
Heterozygous Blue – 25%
Heterozygous White – 25%
Homozygous brown – 25%
 4. In squirrels, long bushy tails and long straight tails are dominant to short bushy tails. Show the
cross of a homozygous long bushy tail squirrel with a heterozygous long straight tailed
squirrel.

Key: B – long bushy S – long straight b – short bushy B B

S SB SB
Offspring phenotypes with percentages:
b Bb Bb
Codominance – 50%
Heterozygous long bushy – 50%

5. In tortoises, round shells and wide shells are dominant to flat shells. Show the cross of
a heterozygous wide shelled tortoise with a homozygous flat shelled tortoise.

Key: R – round W – wide f - flat W f

f Wf ff
Offspring phenotypes with percentages:
f Wf ff

Heterozygous Wide – 50%

Homozygous flat – 50%

6. In dogs, long ears and flappy ears are dominant to short ears. Show the cross of a
homozygous long eared dog with a heterozygous flappy eared dog.

Key: L – long F – flappy s - short L L

F FL FL
Offspring phenotypes with percentages:
s Ls Ls
Codominance – 50%
Heterozygous Long – 50%

7. In a berry-producing plant, red berries and blue berries are dominant to yellow berries and
express incomplete dominance. Show the cross of a homozygous blue berry plant with a
heterozygous red berry plant.

Key: R – red B – blue y – yellow B B

R RB RB

y By By
Offspring phenotypes with percentages:

Purple

8. In cows, black fur and white fur are dominant to brown fur. Show the cross of a
heterozygous black cow with a homozygous white cow.

Key: B – black W – white b - brown B b

W BW Wb
Offspring phenotypes with percentages:
W BW Wb
Black and white codominance – 50%
Heterozygous white – 50%
 Blood Typing Punnett Squares

Directions: Read each problem carefully to determine what it is asking for. Be sure to show your
work using a Punnett square for each cross.

1. Both the father and mother have type O blood. What is the phenotypic ratio for their
child?

Father genotype: oo o o
Mother genotype: oo
o oo oo

Phenotypic ratio: 100% type O o oo oo

2. The father is type A homozygous and mother is type B homozygous. What is the
phenotypic ratio for their child?

Father genotype: AA A A
Mother genotype: BB
B

Phenotypic ratio: 100% type AB B

3. Jessica has type B blood and Jordan has type AB blood. Their child Jeff has type A blood, and
Jordan doesn't think he is the father. Is it possible that Jeff is Jordan’s son? Use the Punnett
square to help you out.

B o
Yes, since it is not stated that Jessica has a homozygous B, it is
possible it is heterozygous B. Since this is possible, if Jordan’s type A AB Ao
A gene lined up with Jessica’s o, this would result in a
heterozygous type A. B BB Bo
 4. Hector has type A blood and his wife Maria has type B blood. Their child Stephanie has type
O blood. Based on this information what are the possible genotypes of both Hector and
Maria? One Punnett square is given to help you, but you may choose to create more if you
need to.
1. A o
Hector: Heterozygous type A
Maria: Heterozygous type B B AB Bo

o Ao oo

5. Tammy and her daughter Rachael both have type AB blood. Her husband Greg has type B
blood, but doesn't believe he is the father. He insists that their neighbor Adam get tested
because they had relations about 9 months before Rachael was born. Based on Tammy and
Greg’s blood types, is it possible that Greg is in fact the father? Use a Punnett square to help
you out
2. A B
Yes it is possible that Greg is the father. There is a 25% chance for B AB BB
Tammy to have type AB blood since Greg has type B.
o Ao Bo

6. Being persistent Greg goes to the hospital where Adam had his left pinky finger amputated
and butters up the nurse into telling him Adam’s blood type. He learns that Adam has type A
blood. Based on this new evidence is it possible that Adam could be the father? If yes, who is
more likely to be the father, Greg or Adam?
3. A B
A AA AB
It is possible that Adam is the father. Since we do not know if
Adam is heterozygous or homozygous type A, we can test both A Ao Bo or
possibilities. If Adam were heterozygous, the chances of his being o or AB
the father are the same as Greg, 25%. However, if Adam is r AA
Homozygous, there is a 50% chance of the outcome of type AB o
blood, and he would be more likely the father.
 Multiple Allele Punnett Squares
1. In rabbits, white fur is dominant to brown fur and straight ears are dominant to floppy ears. If a
rabbit heterozygous for white fur and straight ears was crossed with a homozygous brown
furred floppy eared rabbit what is the most likely outcome of its offspring?

Key: W – white b – brown S- straight f - floppy

WbSf x bbff
Most likely outcome:

WS Wf bS bf

bf WbSf Wbff bbSf bbff

bf WbSf Wbff bbSf bbff

bf WbSf Wbff bbSf bbff

bf WbSf Wbff bbSf bbff

The most likely outcome cannot be determined as all combinations have a 25% chance of
occurring.
 2. In dragons, green scales are dominant to red scales and wings are dominant to no wings. If a
dragon homozygous for red scales and wings was crossed with a homozygous red scaled
wingless dragon what is the most likely outcome of its offspring?

Key: G – green r – red W – Wings w- no wings

rrWW x rrww
Most likely outcome:

rW rW rW rW

rw rrWw rrWw rrWw rrWw

rw rrWw rrwW rrWw rrWw

rw rrWw rrWw rrWw rrWw

rw rrWw rrWw rrWw rrWw

The most likely outcome is a homozygous red with heterozygous wings at 100%.
 3. In sponges, square pants are dominant to round pants and yellow color is dominant to pink
color. If a sponge heterozygous for both square pants and yellow color was crossed with a
sponge homozygous for both round pants and pink color what is the most likely outcome of its
offspring?

Key: S – square r – round Y – yellow p - pink

SrYp x rrpp
Most likely outcome:
SY Sp rY rp

rp SrYp Srpp rrYp rrpp

rp SrYp Srpp rrYp rrpp

rp SrYp Srpp rrYp rrpp

rp SrYp Srpp rrYp rrpp

The most likely outcome cannot be determined as all combinations have a 25% chance of
occurring.
 4. In pea plants, round seeds are dominant to wrinkled seeds and white flowers are dominant to
yellow flowers. If a pea plant heterozygous for round seeds and homozygous for white flowers
was crossed with a plant homozygous for both wrinkled seeds and white flowers what is the
most likely outcome of its offspring?

Key: R – round w – W – white y – yellow

RRWy x wwWW
Most likely outcome:
RW Ry wW wy

wW RwWW RwWy wwWW wwWy

wW RwWW RwWy wwWW wwWy

wW RwWW RwWy wwWW wwWy

wW RwWW RwWy wwWW wwWy

The most likely outcome cannot be determined as all combinations have a 25% of occurring.
Name:

5. In cats, black fur and white fur are dominant to orange fur, long tails are dominant to short tails,
and short ears are dominant to long ears. If a codominant black and white cat heterozygous for
long tail and homozygous for short ears was crossed with a cat homozygous for orange fur,
homozygous for short tail, and heterozygous for short ears what is the most likely outcome of its
offspring?

Key: B – black W – white o – orange L – long s – short S- short ears l – long ears

BWLsSS x oossSl

Most likely outcome:

BLS BLS BsS WLS WLS WsS

osS BoLsSS BoLsSS BossSS WoLsSS WoLsSS WossSS

osS BoLsSS BoLsSS BossSS WoLsSS WoLsSS WossSS

osS BoLsSS BoLsSS BossSS WoLsSS WoLsSS WossSS

osl BoLsSl BoLsSl BossSl WoLsSl WoLsSl WossSl

osl BoLsSl BoLsSl BossSl WoLsSl WoLsSl WossSl

osl BoLsSl BoLsSl BossSl WoLsSl WoLsSl WossSl

The most likely outcome has a 100% chance of having short ears and a 66.67% chance of
having a long tail. The color has an equal chance of being either.

6. In plants, blue flowers are dominant to white flowers, thorns are dominant to no thorns, and
red berries are dominant to green berries. If a plant homozygous for blue flowers,
heterozygous for thorns, and heterozygous for red berries was crossed with a plant
homozygous for white flowers, homozygous for no thorns, and heterozygous for red berries
what is the most likely outcome of its offspring?

Key:
Name:
Most likely outcome:
Name:

Pedigrees and Sex-Linked Traits

1. Colorblindness is an X-linked recessive trait. Show the cross between a female who is not
colorblind but carrying the colorblindness trait and a male who is not colorblind.

Key:

Offspring phenotypes with percentages:

2. Hemophilia is an X-linked recessive trait. Show the cross between a female who has hemophilia
and a male who does not.

Key:

Offspring phenotypes with percentages:

3. Humor is an X-linked recessive trait. Show the cross between a female who is a carrier of humor,
and a male who has humor.

Key:

Offspring phenotypes with percentages:

4. Laziness is an X-linked recessive trait. Show the cross between a female who is not carrying the
lazy gene, and a male who is lazy (has the gene).

Key:

Offspring phenotypes with percentages:

Name:

Using the pedigree below, answer the following questions.

The pedigree above tracks expression of an autosomal-recessive trait: text-addiction

1. Which individuals are expressing the recessive trait text-addiction?

2. Based on the pedigree, what are the genotypes for individuals 2 and 3?

3. Based on the pedigree, what are the genotypes for individuals 8 and 9?

4. Looking at individuals 5 and 6, show the Punnett square and determine what the chances of each
of their offspring having their expressed phenotype is.

5. Why is expression of text-addiction in the children of 8 and 9 less than the children of 10 and 11?
Explain your answers using vocabulary from this unit.