Name: Date: Block:

Dragon Genetics!

Purpose: To demonstrate your knowledge & skills in genetic principals of the following terms:

  • Simple Dominance: Traits are either DOMINANT or recessive
  • Incomplete Dominance: Traits are bLeNdEd
  • Codominance: Both traits are fully expressed, ex: spots/stripes
  • Multiple Alleles: superscripts show the variations of traits

Supplies: 2 coins, colored pencils, this activity sheet.

Directions: Work through steps 1-3 independently; draw your dragon. Then work through steps 5-8 with a partner. Turn this activity in when finished!

~ INDEPENDENT WORK ~

Step 1: Flip a coin to determine the gender of you dragon. Heads = female, tails = male. Congratulations, your dragon is a ______!

Step 2: Determine the traits your dragon will have, flip a coin to determine the following:

Trait / H/H / H/T / T/T / Type of Dominance
Size / Small / Medium / Large / Incomplete Dominance
Wings / Small / Small / Large / Simple Dominance
Legs / 4 / 6 / 2 / Codominance
Body Covering / Fur / Fur & Scales / Scales / Codominance
Color / Yellow / Green / Blue / Incomplete Dominance
Spots / Red / Red / Black / Simple Dominance
Stripes / Orange / Orange / Purple / Simple Dominance
Horns / Small / Medium / Large / Incomplete Dominance
Eyes / Brown / Hazel / Blue / Codominance
Fire Breathing / No / No / Yes / Simple Dominance
Tail Spikes / None / One / Two / Codominance

Step 3: Draw your dragon, according to its phenotypes, on the next page!

Continue to Step 4 on the next page 

Step 4: Use this traits key to determine and circle the genotypes your dragon has:

Trait / Dominant / Heterozygous / Recessive / Type of Dominance
Size / ZZ / ZL / LL / Incomplete Dominance
Wings / WW / Ww / ww / Simple Dominance
Legs / GG / GE / EE / Codominance
Body Covering / FF / FS / SS / Codominance
Body Color / YY / YN / NN / Incomplete Dominance
Spots / OO / Ot / tt / Simple Dominance
Stripes / RR / Rp / pp / Simple Dominance
Horns / HH / HA / AA / Incomplete Dominance
Eyes / BB / Bb / bb / Codominance
Fire Breathing / FF / Ff / ff / Simple Dominance
Tail Spikes / KK / Kk / kk / Codominance

~PARTNER WORK ~

Step 5: When dragons reach maturity at the age of 100 years, they’re able to breed and pass on their genes to the next generation. With a partner, choose 2 traits from your parent dragons to complete the following dihybrid Punnett square to determine baby dragon’s traits. For example: Wings and Horns (WWAA) or Fire Breathing and Spots (Fftt). Write the mother dragon’s genotype on the top, and the father’s genotype on the left – remember to foil!

Mother’s Genotype: ______Phenotype: ______&______

Father’s Genotype: ______Phenotype: ______&______

Step 6: There are Multiple Alleles which determine the characteristics of what a dragon’s eggs will look like. Each partner will now flip their coin to determine their egg characteristic genes.

Small = eb Medium eB Large = EB Many Spots = eT Few Spots = et No spots = Et

Characteristic / H/H / H/T / T/T
Size Gene1 / Small / Medium / Large
Size Gene 2 / Small / Medium / Large
Spots Gene 2 / Many spots / Few spots / No spots
Spots Gene 1 / Many spots / Few spots / No spots

Step 7: Solve the Punnett Square to determine what your baby dragon’s egg will look like:

Choose 1 of the 4 possible egg genotypes, write it here: ______

Write out the egg’s phenotype: ______

Step 8: Draw and color your baby dragon’s egg in the nest below: