Mendel Assignment

Data and Observations:

Family Member Earlobes Hair on Hairline Hair texture Chin Shape
(Free or knuckles (Widow’s (Curly or (Cleft or No
Attached) (Yes or No) peak or Straight) Cleft)
Straight)
1. Parent or F N W S N
Guardian 1
2. Parent or F Y S S N
Guardian 2
3. Offspring 1 F N S S N
4. Friend 1 F N W S N
5. Friend 2 F N S S N
6. Friend 3 A N S S N
7. Friend 4 F Y S C N
8. Friend 5 A N S S N
9. Friend 6 A Y W C N
10. Friend 7 F Y S S N
11. Friend 8 F N S S N
12. Classmate 1 F Y W S N
13. Classmate 2 A N W S N
14. Classmate 3 A N S S C
15. Classmate 4 F Y S C N
16. Classmate 5 A N S S N
17. Classmate 6 F N W C N
18. Classmate 7 F N S S N
19. Classmate 8 A Y S S N
20. Classmate 9 F N W S N
Feature Trait Total Trait Total

Earlobes Free earlobes 13 Attached earlobes 7

Hair on knuckles Hair present 7 No hair is present 13

between the between the
second and third second and third
 knuckle of fingers knuckles of the
fingers

Hairline (widow’s peak vs. Widow’s peak 6 Straight hair line 14

straight hairline)
Hair texture Curly hair (count 4 Straight hair 16
wavy hair as curly)

Chin shape Cleft chin 1 No cleft chin 19

Calculations:
Calculate the percentages for each trait in your total sample and list those percentages in this
section of your report.

Example calculations: (12 people with widow’s peak ÷ 20 total people) x 100 = 60% widow’s
peaks

Feature Trait Calculated Trait Calculated

Percentage Percentage
Earlobes Free earlobes 65% Attached 35%
earlobes
Hair on knuckles Hair present 35% No hair is 65%
between the present between
second and third the second and
knuckle of third knuckles
fingers of the fingers

Hairline (widow’s peak vs. Widow’s peak 30% Straight hair 70%
straight hairline) line
Hair texture Curly hair 20% Straight hair 80%
(count wavy
hair as curly)
Chin shape Cleft chin 5% No cleft chin 95%

Analysis and Conclusion:

Using what you have learned in the lesson and gathered from your survey, write a conclusion
paragraph analyzing your results in your conclusion. Be sure to address the following questions:

 Identify the trait that you believe to be dominant for each of the features surveyed.
Explain your reasoning.
 Free earlobes, no hair present between knuckles, straight hairline, straight hair, no cleft
chin. I believe in them because I did a small unbiased survey and those are the dominant
features I got out of them.
 What recessive features do you exhibit? Do you have any relatives who exhibit those
same features?
I exhibit hair on knuckles to be a recessive feature plus I have my cousin with the same
recessive feature.
 In the family you surveyed, what features did the offspring share with one or both
parents? Were there any features that the offspring exhibited that were not exhibited by
either parent?
I shared every feature (earlobes, hair on knuckles, hairline, hair, chin). There wasn’t any
feature that wasn’t exhibited by either parent.
 How is it possible for an offspring to exhibit a recessive trait if neither parent exhibited
that recessive trait? What must be true about the parents’ genes for this to occur?
Some parts of the parent’s gene are non-dominant and therefore recessive.
 Are there any results in your data that surprised you?
Not really.
 Is it possible that a recessive trait in a survey such as this one may have a greater total
number than its dominant counterpart? Explain how that might happen in an investigation
like this.
Yes, It is possible if the recessive trait is more dominant, then the recessive trait and
dominant trait switch places.
 How might surveying a different number of people or a different population of people
possibly change the percentages that you calculated?
Different ethnicity/culture/different part of the world/etc. carries different recessive and
dominant traits.