Investigation_ Drosophila Simulation

Name:________________________________________ Date:_______
Drosophila Simulation - Patterns of Heredity

Objective: Students will learn and apply the principles of
Mendelian inheritance by experimentation with the fruit fly
Drosophila melanogaster. Students will explore monohybrid,
dihybrid and sex-linked traits and test hypotheses by selecting
fruit flies with different visible mutations, mating them, and
analyzing the phenotypic ratios of the offspring.
Website: https://www.sciencecourseware.org/FlyLabJS/
The image shows a wild-type female fly (left) and a male fly.
Recall that "wild-type" refers to the most common or typical
form seen in the wild. A + sign is used to denote when a fly displays the wild-type characteristic. In a real lab,
you would learn to identify females by their pointed abdomens.
Introduction - Examine the phenotypes available from the left side menu to answer the following questions.
1. Examine the different types of bristles seen in flies. Geneticists use a shorthand labeling system. F =
forked. Identify the phenotypes shown:
______________ ______________
2. Compare antennae types. How is "aristapedia" different from wild-type? ________________________
3. What are different eye colors in fruit flies? ____________________________________________
4. Regarding wing size, what is the difference between apterous and vestigial?
__________________________________________________________________________
5. What are the body colors in fruit flies? _______________________________________
6. Create a mutant fly with any number of variations and mate it with a wild-type fly.
How many offspring were wild-type? _______
7. Mate the offspring of the cross. Use the analyze tab to get more details about the F2 offspring. (The button
to "ignore sex" may make counting easier.)
How many wild-type offspring were produced? __________________________
How many mutant flies were produced? ___________
Part 2: Monohybrid Crosses
You may realize that choosing a lot of different types of flies makes it difficult to
analyze inheritance patterns. Your next tasks will focus on analyzing single traits
within flies to determine how they are inherited.
www.biologycorner.com
1. Reset all flies in the design tab.
2. Design a male fly with vestigial wings and cross it with a wild-type female
3. Add the results to your "Lab Notes."
4. Mate the offspring of this cross.
5. Based on these two crosses you probably have an idea about how vestigial wings are inherited.
Is VG recessive or dominant? _________________
How do you know? ______________________________________
6. In genetics, numbers are statistically analyzed. The fly simulator has a built into it. Under the Analyze tab,
you can click on "Include a test hypothesis."
If your hypothesis that VG is a recessive trait is correct, then you would expect what proportion of
the F2 offspring to have vestigial wings? _________________
What proportion would have wild-type wings? _________________
7. Place the expected numbers in the hypothesis field and click on "test your hypothesis." The program will do
the chi square calculations.
What is your chi-squared test statistic? _________________
Compare this to the chi square table to determine a goodness of fit. ________________________
8. Summary: Explain how vestigial wings are inherited in fruit flies (claim) and provide evidence from your
data and chi-square statistic analysis.
Part 3: Sex Linked Traits
1. Cross a white eyed male with a wild-type female.

How many of the offspring are males / red eyes? ____
How many females / red eyes? ____
2. Predict what would happen if you crossed two of the offspring. Explain your
reasoning by showing a punnett square.
3. Perform the cross and use the statistical analysis tool to test your prediction. Explain how red/white eye
color is inherited in fruit flies (claim) and provide evidence from your data and chi-square statistics.
Part 4: Lethal Alleles
Aristapedia is a lethal allele that is also dominant. Individuals with this trait must be
heterozygous (Aa) because the homozygous condition (AA) is lethal. This is not a
sex-linked trait. Wild-type flies do not carry the allele for aristopedia (aa).
1. Predict the outcome of a cross between a wild-type fly and one with aristopedia.
Show the punnett square to illustrate your reasoning
2. Perform the cross and determine if your prediction is correct using statistical analysis. Summarize your
results and indicate whether your prediction is confirmed.
3. Predict the outcome of a cross between two Aa (aristopedia) flies. Perform the cross and determine if your
prediction is correct. Summarize your results.
Part 5: Linkage Groups
When two alleles are located on the same chromosome they are inherited together. However, crossing-over
can occur during meiosis and the alleles are switched. Vestigial wings (VG) and Black body color (BL) are
located on chromosome 2.
1. Cross a female VG, BL fly with a wild-type male. (ggbb x GGBB)
How many wild-type offspring are produced? ___________________
What is the genotype of these offspring? _______________________

2. Choose a female from the offspring and mate it with
a male that has vestigial wings and a black body
(ggbb). Show a punnett square or a visual
representation of the alleles involved in this cross to
make a prediction about the offspring.
3. Complete the table (ignore sex).
Phenotype Observed Proportion
+ (wild-type)
Vestigial wings (B_gg)
Black body (bbG_)
VG, BL (ggbb)
4. Explain why the observed flies do not match your prediction.
5. The percentage of crossing over events is used to develop a map of chromosomes. View the chromosome
map on the last page.
How far apart are the alleles for black body and vestigial wings? (Do the math!) _______
View the proportion of flies from your data that indicate crossover occurred (VG and BL flies) and
multiple it by 100. Based on your data, how far apart are these alleles? _____________
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Name:________________________________________ Date:_______

Drosophila Simulation - Patterns of Heredity

2. Compare antennae types. How is "aristapedia" different from wild-type? ________________________

3. What are different eye colors in fruit flies? ____________________________________________

5. What are the body colors in fruit flies? _______________________________________

How many wild-type offspring were produced? __________________________

How many mutant flies were produced? ___________

Part 2: Monohybrid Crosses

Is VG recessive or dominant? _________________

How do you know? ______________________________________

What proportion would have wild-type wings? _________________

What is your chi-squared test statistic? _________________

Part 3: Sex Linked Traits

1. Cross a white eyed male with a wild-type female.

Part 4: Lethal Alleles

Part 5: Linkage Groups

1. Cross a female VG, BL fly with a wild-type male. (ggbb x GGBB)

How many wild-type offspring are produced? ___________________

What is the genotype of these offspring? _______________________

3. Complete the table (ignore sex).

Phenotype Observed Proportion

Vestigial wings (B_gg)

Black body (bbG_)

4. Explain why the observed flies do not match your prediction.

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