Google Class Biostatistics FY Botany

27th April 2020 Chi Square Test : Practice Numericals

Dr. Vijendra Shekhawat

Question 1: From a cross between two plants, one completely heterogyzous tall green (SsYy) and
the other heterozygous tall yellow (Ssyy), the following results were observed:
52 tall green ; 55 tall yellow ; 26short green ; 27 short yellow
Use χ 2 calculations to determine whether or not the variations in the observed results could be
due to chance.
Supporting information:
Expected ratio: 3 tall green, 3 tall yellow, 1 short green, 1 short yellow
Degrees of freedom = 3
Critical value (from chi-square table) = 7.815

Question 2. Imagine an isolated species of caterpillars with five distinct color variations living in a
prescribed area. Many counts of these caterpillars revealed that the colors were equally balanced.
In July a count of 50 caterpillars revealed:
10 green
10 yellow
10 brown
10 white
10 red
Also in July a species of bird that preys on caterpillars was introduced in the area of the caterpillar
population. After two months the caterpillar population had dropped, and when the count was
done, the color variations were no longer balanced. The following results were obtained from a
random count of 25 caterpillars in early September:
10 green
5 yellow
7 brown
1 white
2 red
Using chi-square, determine if the color variations found in the September count could be due to
chance, or if some other factor influenced results.
Supporting information:
- the critical value at 0.05 is 9.49
- there are 4 degrees of freedom
Question 3. A genetics engineer was attempting to cross a tiger and a cheetah. She predicted a
phenotypic outcome of the traits she was observing to be in the following ratio 4 stripes only: 3
spots only: 9 both stripes and spots. When the cross was performed and she counted the
individuals she found 50 with stripes only, 41 with spots only and 85 with both. According to the
Chi-square test, did she get the predicted outcome?
Supporting information:
- Degrees of Freedom = 2
- Critical value (from chi-square table) = 5.991
Question 4: Examine Mendel's F2 data for the Round/wrinkled and Yellow/green dihybrid cross.
He counted a total of 556 peas with this observed ratio: 315:108:101:32. Based on Mendel's
second law we expect a 9:3:3:1 ratio Apply the goodness of fit test.
Supporting Information:
-Critical value (from chi-square table) 0.58
- degrees of freedom= 3
Google Class Biostatistics FY Botany
27th April 2020 Chi Square Test : Practice Numericals
Dr. Vijendra Shekhawat

Question 5 : A Gardener received 800 F2 tulip seeds from a flower seed company which he
planted in a nice warm (37°C), moist place. Of the 800, only 652 germinated, grew and
eventually produced flowers. Company told Gardner that the parental types were Red
flowers/Smooth petal edges and yellow flowers/ruffled petal edges--Red dominant over yellow
and Smooth over ruffled--so he could expect a 9:3:3:1 ratio in the F2's he was planting. Gardner,
however, got the following results:
440 Red/Smooth; 50 Red/ruffled; 147 yellow/Smooth; 15 yellow/ruffled
Supporting Information:
- the df is 3
- Critical value (from chi-square table) 7.82
Question 6: In a plant species, bright seeds are dominant over milky seeds. In a cross between
heterozygotes, F2 generation plants were segregated into 81 yellow and 55 green plants. Does the
data fit the Mendelian’s typical ratio of 3:1?
(X2 tab./cri. = 3.84)