Sharks at the Shedd Aquarium

Who is Quinn's mother?

• Yin

• Yang

• Ping

• Pong

Who is Grace's mother?

• Yin

• Yang

• Ping

• Pong

Who is Ariel's mother?

• Yin

• Yang

• Ping

• Pong

Do any of these offspring have a father?

• Yes, and that father is Jaws.

• Yes, and that father is shark other than Jaws.

• No, these sharks were all made through parthenogenesis.

• No, these sharks are clones of their mothers.

The following sharks all have a normal genotype (put in order as they appear on your handout for full credit): (a)   ​ ​ (b)   ​ (c)   ​ (d)   ​ (e)  

• Yin
• Yang
• Ping
• Quinn
• Grace
• Pong
• Jaws
• Ariel

Answer explanation

These sharks have the normal genotype (TT). They do not have the mutation that causes thalassemia in their hemoglobin.

The following sharks are carriers of the thalassemia allele (put in order as they appear on your handout for full credit): (a)   ​ ​ (b)   ​ ​ ​

• Yin
• Yang
• Pong
• Jaws
• Ariel
• Quinn
• Ping
• Grace

This shark has thalassemia.

• Yang

• Pong

• Jaws

• Ariel

Thalassemia is caused by a mutation in the hemoglobin gene. This mutation results in:

• No change in the DNA code.

• No change in the amino acids in the hemoglobin protein.

• A change in the DNA code but no change in the amino acids in the hemoglobin protein.

• A change in the DNA code that causes a change in the amino acids in the hemoglobin protein.

In order to have thalassemia, an individual needs to have:

• Two copies of the dominant hemoglobin allele

• One copy of the dominant hemoglobin allele

• One copy of the recessive hemoglobin (thalassemia) allele

• Two copies of the recessive hemoglobin (thalassemia) allele

A female shark carrying the thalassemia allele has a ___ percent chance of having offspring with thalassemia if she reproduces through parthenogenesis.

• 25%

• 50%

• 75%

• 100%