Principles of Inheritance and Variation Question 46
46. Which one of the following is an example of polygenic inheritance?
[2006]
(a) Production of male honey bee
(b) Pod shape in garden pea
(c) Skin colour in humans
(d) Flower colour in Mirabilis jalapa
Show Answer
Answer : c
Hints & Solution
(c) Polygenic inheritance is the inheritance of traits which are dependent on the no. of genes such as the skin colour of human beings. e.g., three genes A, B and C. Genotype AABBCC will have darkest skin colour and genotype aabbcc will have light skin colour. The number of each type of alleles in the genotype would determine the darkness or lightness of the skin of an individual. Polygenic inheritance was discovered in 1909 by the Swedish scientist $H$. Nilsson-Ehle, who studied the inheritance of grain color in wheat by the analytical dissociation of the character.
