Genetics Problem

Rudolph had grown up as an orphan.  He enjoyed working at the North Pole with Santa. "Kris K." (as he was often called by the reindeer) and Mrs. Kringle had treated him as one of their own.  However, as he grew older he always wondered about his parents.  What had they been like?  His interest was especially high at Christmas time because it was then that his special talents were put to use.  Oh sure, occasionally a reindeer were born that had a bright red nose, and lots of his friends could fly, but so few seemed to be able to do both -- he was just lucky, he thought.

That particular Christmas, however, he sensed that something was different.  Santa had hired a new stable master who seemed to take particular interest in Rudolph.  Of course, other stable masters had been kind and had kept the reindeer well-fed, groomed, and contented, but this jolly little elf was different.  It was as if he knew Rudolph's background better than Rudolph did!

While they were loading the sleigh and getting the team ready for the big flight, the jolly stable master had mentioned to Rudolph that he had just completed a genetics course that fall at the University of the North Pole and that he had discovered some old records that related to Rudolph's parents.

Before they took off, the jolly stable master said that he had learned that the ability to fly was dominant over flightlessness and that red noses were a recessive characteristic in reindeer.   The old records in the Archive Shed at the University contained notes on the genetics of the Kringle reindeer herds of the past.  He had found that Rudolph's mother had been red nosed and flightless, and that his dad had also been one of the herd's few reindeer with a red nose.  However, the All-North Pole Reindeer Hall-Of-Fame Annual had stated that Rudolph's dad was known to be a bit boastful about the fact that everyone in his family had always been able to fly and that it was impossible for any of his offspring to be flightless.  (A footnote in the book by one of the professors of biology had confirmed this "true-breeding" characteristic).

As the night went by Rudolph continued to think about what the stable master had said, and by the time morning came and the team had completed its nights mission, he had figured out his GENOTYPE!  Can you?

 [Use the letter “B/b” for nose color and “F/f” for the ability to fly].

What is Rudolph's GENOTYPE (for nose color and flight)?

 __________________________ (one point)

What is the genotype of Rudolph's mother?  ________________ (one point)

What is the genotype of Rudolph's father? _________________ (one point)

If Rudolph mates with his favorite female reindeer, Rhonda (who has a typical black nose, but can't fly, although her mother has a red nose), can any of their children be like Rudolph's mother?  _______________  (2 points).

[Be sure to show your work or you will not receive full credit.]