Which of the following traits would you expect to be inherited as quantitative traits?

coat color in dogs

Key Concepts

Quantitative Traits

Quantitative traits are characteristics that are influenced by multiple genes and can be measured on a continuous scale, such as height, weight, or coat color. Unlike qualitative traits, which are typically binary (e.g., flower color), quantitative traits exhibit a range of phenotypes due to the additive effects of several alleles.

Polygenic Inheritance

Polygenic inheritance refers to the phenomenon where multiple genes contribute to a single trait. This type of inheritance results in a wide variety of phenotypes, as each gene may have multiple alleles that interact in complex ways, making traits like coat color in dogs a classic example of polygenic traits.

Environmental Influence

Environmental factors can significantly affect the expression of quantitative traits. For instance, the coat color in dogs may not only be determined by genetic makeup but also influenced by factors such as nutrition, exposure to sunlight, and overall health, leading to variations in the phenotype that are not solely attributable to genetics.