Dragon Genetics

Introduction
The simplest form of genetic inheritance for a single trait involves receiving one piece of genetic information
(one allele) from the mother and one piece of genetic information (one allele) from the father. Sometimes the
information from the mom and dad is identical, and sometimes it is not. The resulting combination of alleles is
referred to as a genotype; the physical expression of the trait that is coded for is referred to as the phenotype.
Using a tool called a Punnett square, you can predict the likelihood that an offspring will inherit a certain allele
combination (genotypic ratio) and therefore predict the likelihood that they will express certain traits in their
physical appearance (phenotypic ratio/percentage).

Essential Question
How does Mendelian genetics explain the variation of expressed traits within a population?

Pre-lab
Watch the short video and answer the questions below in your science notebook.
1. What is fertilization?
2. What happens to the chromosomes of the egg and sperm during fertilization?
3. What would happen (genetically) if the egg in the video had chosen a different sperm?

Materials (Per Student Group of 2)

1 3” Plastic egg of one color (egg) with 4 pink chromosomes inside. (numbered)
1 2” Plastic egg of one color (sperm) with 4 blue chromosomes inside. (numbered)
1 Glue Stick or tape 2 coins per pair
Extra paper
Colored Pencils
Scissors
Copy of lab procedure, student data sheet, and copy of dragon cut-outs

Procedure
Part I: First Generation
1. Each student will receive a dragon egg with a number. Students should pair up making sure egg
numbers match.
2. Each egg and sperm contains four numbered chromosomes. Find chromosome #1 from the mother
and the father. Pair these 2 chromosomes together to see the combined genetic code for chromosome
#1. All four chromosomes in the egg should be pink and the four chromosomes in the sperm should be
blue.
3. Using the corresponding chromosome, necessary office supplies, and the dragon key, create a baby
dragon. Be sure to put your group’s name on the back of your dragon. You are welcome to name your
dragon and color the background of your paper if time permits.
4. After completing the “baby dragon,” place the four pink chromosomes back into the “egg” and the four
blue chromosomes back into the “sperm.”
Part II: Second Generation

ASIM P1DraGen Dragon Genetics 5E student handout, revised 8/2015

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 1. Your teacher will display the male dragons created during part I in the classroom. Pairs who created
female dragons in Part I will be allowed to choose a male partner for their female dragon. The creators
of the two dragons will now be a new group of four, yet will remain in their original pairs.
2. Each pair within the group will create a new offspring (resulting in two siblings) from alleles inherited
from the first generation dragons.
3. You will first predict the genotypic and phenotypic ratios and percentage for each trait (both pairs
within the group will follow these steps for their own offspring)
a. Transfer the genotypes from Table I for each trait for both the Mother and Father dragon into
Table II.
b. On a separate sheet of paper, use a Punnett square to determine the possible allele combinations
for your baby dragon. Record the predicted genotypic ratio, phenotypic ratio and phenotypic
percentages on columns 3-5 on Table II.
c. Check your answers with the other pair in your group for accuracy
4. Make baby dragons
a. Each pair will create their own offspring (resulting in two siblings)
b. One member of the pair will flip a coin for the mother dragon, and the other member of the pair will
flip a coin for the father dragon to determine the allele that is passed down to the offspring.
Heads = first written allele; Tails = second written allele.
(For example: If the mothers alleles for a trait are “Tt,” heads = T and tails = t)
b. Record the resulting genotype for the baby dragon on column 6 in Table II.
c. Record the resulting phenotype for the baby dragon on column 7 in Table II.
d. Indicate if the trait that was most likely to be passed down (based on percentages) was expressed in
the resulting offspring in column 8 of Table II.
DRAGON KEY
(In most cases, upper case letters represent dominant alleles;
lower case letters represent recessive alleles).
N = LONG NECK E = RED EYE
n = short neck e = white eye
H = HORN PRESENT F = FIRE BREATHING
h = horn absent f = not fire breathing
Body scales L = LONG TAIL
GG = green body gg = grey body l = short tail
Gg = equal mixture of individual green and
grey scales
S = SPIKES ON END OF TAIL Wings
s = no spikes on end of tail RR = red wings Rr=orange wings
r r= yellow wings
T = THREE TOES W = YELLOW BELLY
t = four toes w = white belly
B = BLACK TAIL SPIKES K = FRECKLES
b = red tail spikes k = no freckles
Ear frills (sex-linked trait) Ear frills (sex-linked trait)
X = X chromosome / no ear frills Y = Y chromosome / ear frills present
(XX = female) (XY = male)

ASIM P1DraGen Dragon Genetics 5E student handout, revised 8/2015

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STUDENT DATA SHEET Name _______________________
DRAGON GENETICS Partner’s Name_____________________
Date ________________________

Data Table 1

Chromosome Trait Genotype Homozygous / Phenotype

Pair number Heterozygous
Neck Length
1 Eye Color
Horn?
Spikes?

Chromosome Trait Genotype Homozygous / Phenotype

Pair number Heterozygous
Tail Length
2 Body Color
Color of Wings
Number of toes

ASIM P1DraGen Dragon Genetics 5E student handout, revised 8/2015

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Chromosome Trait Genotype Homozygous / Phenotype
Pair number Heterozygous
Belly Color
3 Color of Spikes
Freckles

Chromosome Trait Genotype Homozygous / Phenotype

Pair number Heterozygous
Fire Breathing?
4 Ear Frills?

Part I Analysis Questions

1. Which trait(s) are sex-linked? What does sex-linked mean?

2. Which trait exhibits codominance? Looking at the resulting phenotype of a heterozygous allele pair for this
trait, what do you think the term “codominance” means?

3. Which trait exhibits incomplete dominance? Looking at the resulting phenotype of a heterozygous allele
pair for this trait, what do you think the term “incomplete dominance” means?

Data Table II: 2nd generation Pair II members_________________&____________________

Chromo Trait Mother’s Father’s Babies’ Babies’ Babies’ Baby’s Baby’s Baby’s Predicted
some Geno- Geno- possible possible possible predicted actual actual trait
Pair # 1 type type genotypic phenotypic phenotype Pheno- geno- pheno- expressed
ratio ratio % type type type ?
Ex: Height Tt Tt 1:2:1 3:1 75% tall Tall Tt Tall Yes
TT:Tt:tt Tall:short 25% short
Neck
length

Eye
Color

Horn?

Spikes?
ASIM P1DraGen Dragon Genetics 5E student handout, revised 8/2015
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Chromo Trait Mother’s Father’s Baby’s Baby’s Baby’s Baby’s Baby’s Baby’s Predicted
some Geno- Geno- genotypic phenotypic phenotype predicted actual actual trait
Pair # 2 type type ratio ratio % pheno- geno- pheno- expressed?
type type type
Tail
length

Body
scales
color
Color
of
wings
# of
toes

ASIM P1DraGen Dragon Genetics 5E student handout, revised 8/2015

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Chromo Trait Mother’s Father’s Baby’s Baby’s Baby’s Baby’s Baby’s Baby’s Predicted
some Geno- Geno- geno- phenotypic phenotype predicted actual actual trait
Pair # 3 type type typic ratio % pheno- geno- pheno- expressed
ratio type type type ?
Belly
color

Color of
spikes
Freckles

Chromo Trait Mother’s Father’s Baby’s Baby’s Baby’s Baby’s Baby’s Baby’s Predicted
some Geno- Geno- genotypic phenotypic pheno- predicted actual actual trait
Pair # 4 type type ratio ratio type pheno- geno- pheno- expressed
% type type type ?
Fire
Breath-
ing?
Ear
Frills?

Part II Analysis Questions

1. How does flipping the coin and selecting an allele based on which side lands up follow Mendel’s Law of
Segregation?

2. How does flipping for alleles of each trait individually illustrate Mendel’s law of Independent Assortment?

3. How many of the 14 phenotypic traits does your 2nd Generation Baby Dragon have in common with its
Mother? Father?

4. How many phenotypic traits does your 2nd Generation Baby Dragon have that neither parent showed?
Which ones?

5. How is it possible that your 2nd Generation Baby Dragon shows phenotypic traits that neither parent
showed?
ASIM P1DraGen Dragon Genetics 5E student handout, revised 8/2015
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6. How many of the 14 phenotypic traits does your 2nd Generation Baby Dragon have in common with its
sibling?

7. Would your baby dragon and its sibling be considered twins? Why or why not?

8. How does Mendelian genetics explain the variation of expressed traits within a population?

9. Phenotypic traits are influence by environment as well as genotype. Propose an environmental factor and a
trait that it may influence and explain how this environmental factor may affect the trait as the baby dragon
grows.

10. Which male dragons were selected for breeding first? Last? If a male dragon has traits that are considered
unattractive or undesirable to a female dragon, and the male dragon cannot find a mate, what might
eventually happen to that undesired trait over several generations of dragons?

ASIM P1DraGen Dragon Genetics 5E student handout, revised 8/2015

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ASIM P1DraGen Dragon Genetics 5E student handout, revised 8/2015
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