Black Footed Ferret Lab (Genetics)
Purpose: To demonstrate genetics in a real population using real life situations
Background-read the black-footed ferret life history
Hypothesis: Not needed
Materials:
1. Life history sheet for black-footed ferret
2. Lab handout
3. Gene/Bead Key
4. 18 beads (2 of each color selected randomly)
5. 1 cup
Procedure: See handout
Data:
Table 1:
Bead Color
Allele
symbol
Dominant trait
Parent
Alleles
Yellow
Y
Camouflage
Brown
B
Precise Vision
Orange
O
Aqua
A
Blue
U
Green
G
Accurate sense of
smell
Strong claws and
forearms
Healthy Jaw
formation
Agility
Purple
P
Acute hearing
Red
R
Tan
T
Healthy
reproduction rate
Immunity to Canine
Distemper
Parent
Phenotype
Offspring
Alleles
Offspring
Phenotype
Table 2:
Color Vision
Smell
Strength Jaw
Agility Hearing
Repro. rate
Immunity
Characteristics lost-
Table 3:
Card numberBrief description of
Enviro. Situation-
#_____
#_____
#_____
#_____
#_____
Analysis:
1. What is the percentage of dominant traits your ferret carries?
__________Dominant traits ÷ 9 (possible traits) = __________ x 100 = ____________% genetic diversity
2. Write a paragraph of what your group feels will happen to your ferret (Parent) using the environmental
situations that you chose. Include at least 5 traits and how those traits benefit or impair your population in
the given environmental situations.
3. Are the offspring in your population equipped to handle the environmental situations better or not as good
as than their parents?
4. Why are the offspring better off or worse off than their parents?
5. What is a population bottleneck?
6. How would the environmental situation in column 1 of table 3 lead to a population bottleneck?
a. What alleles do you think might be eliminated due to that environmental condition?
b. Draw another card from the remaining cards in your envelope and briefly describe the situation.
c. How would a ferret that is still alive in this situation handle this second environmental condition?
7. How would the environmental situation in column 2 of table 3 lead to a population bottleneck?
a. What alleles do you think might be eliminated due to that environmental condition?
b. Draw another card from the remaining cards in your envelope and briefly describe the situation.
c. How would a ferret that is still alive in this situation handle this second environmental condition?
Conclusion: No formal conclusion for this lab but answer the question: What did your group learn in this lab?