Question 16

The phenotype of the offspring Bb would be Black.

The genotype Bb indicates that the offspring possesses one dominant allele (B) and one recessive allele (b). In this scenario, the dominant phenotype, which is black, will be expressed in the offspring.

A) Black

This option is correct because the presence of the dominant allele (B) determines the phenotype. In genetic traits where black is dominant over tan, offspring with at least one B allele will exhibit the black phenotype.

B) Black and tan

This option is incorrect as it suggests a co-dominance or incomplete dominance scenario, which is not applicable here. Since black is a dominant trait, the presence of the recessive allele (b) does not result in a mixed phenotype.

C) Tan

This option is also incorrect. The tan phenotype would only be expressed if the offspring had two recessive alleles (bb). Since the offspring is Bb, the tan phenotype does not appear.

D) Not enough information

This option is incorrect as well because the genotype Bb provides sufficient information to determine the phenotype. The presence of the dominant allele allows us to confidently conclude the phenotype will be black.

Conclusion

The correct answer is A) Black, as the dominant allele (B) expressed in the Bb genotype leads to a black phenotype. All other options fail to accurately represent the outcome based on the genetic principles of dominance and recessiveness. Thus, the phenotype of the offspring Bb is definitively black.