Your Name:
Per:
Your Animal’s Name:
Paper Pet Project
TABLE OF ALLELES - PARENT
TRAIT
Sex
Tail
Eye Shape
Eye Color
Eyelashes
Nose Shape
Hair Color
Ear Shape
SYMBOLS FOR EACH ALLELE
XX or XY
Tail (T), No Tail (t)
Slit (E), Oval (e)
Brown (B), Blue (b), green (g), yellow (y)
Eyelashes (L), No Eyelashes (l)
Circle (N), Triangle (n)
Black (H), Brown (h), yellow (y)
Round (R), Pointed (r)
PHENOTYPE
GENOTYPE
CHROMOSOMES
Autosomes
Eye Shape
Hair Color
Ear Shape
Nose
Shape
Eye Color
Eye Shape
Hair Color
Ear Shape
Nose
Shape
Eye Color
Eye Shape
Hair Color
Ear Shape
Nose
Shape
Eye Color
Eye Shape
Hair Color
Ear Shape
Nose
Shape
Eye Color
Sex Chromosomes
Use both X chromosomes and cross out the Y chromosome if your pet is female. Use an X and a Y chromosome if your pet is male
and cross out the other X chromosome.
X Chromosomes
Eyelashes
Eyelashes
Eyelashes
Eyelashes
Y Chromosome
Tail
Tail
Instructions Part 1
1. Fill in the phenotype for each trait in the Table of Alleles, then draw a picture of your pet based on the
characteristics you’ve chosen in the table. Note: females cannot have tails! See #4.
2. Fill in a valid genotype for each phenotype in the Table of Alleles. Select the allele for each genotype based
on the method your teacher specifies.
3. Complete the chromosomes for your paper bag pet by filling in the alleles for each trait in the slot for each
gene. Only write 1 allele in each space! The other allele goes on the matching chromosome. (Use the
chromosomes drawn with a solid line and ignore the dotted lines for now.)
Example:
Eye Shape
Hair Color
Ear Shape
e
h
R
Nose
Shape
Eye Color
n
y
4. Note that the eyelash trait and the tail trait are both sex-linked. The eyelash gene occurs on the X
chromosome so male paper bag animals only inherit one copy. The tail gene occurs on the Y chromosome
so female paper bag animals can never have tails since they do not have Y chromosomes.
5. Create gametes for your paper bag pet (eggs or oocytes for females and sperm or spermatocytes for males)
by performing the primary steps of meiosis:
1) DNA replication – Fill in the dotted-line copy of each chromosome and then cut out each
chromosome pair being careful to keep them connected at their centromeres.
2) Crossing Over - Line up each homologous chromosome pair with the other
(autosome next to autosome, sex chromosome next to sex chromosome) and
randomly exchange segments of the chromosomes between each pair by making
cuts and then taping the pieces to the homologous chromatid. You must cross over
at least one gene to demonstrate crossing over.
3) Independent Assortment and Meiosis 1 – Organize the homologous
chromosomes in a line to simulate metaphase of meiosis 1. Remember that they
can be set up any way as long as there is one of every type of chromosome in each
half of the cell. Model the rest of Meiosis 1 until cytokinesis. You should now have 2 imaginary
cells with 2 chromosomes in each cell.
4) Meiosis 2 – Line up the chromosomes down the middle of each cell to simulate metaphase of
meiosis 2. Then divide the sister chromatids from one another in both cells by carefully cutting them
apart at the centromere and then randomly grouping each autosome with one of the sex
chromosomes resulting in the formation of four genetically unique haploid cells – gametes!
Instructions Part 2: Making Babies!
1. Find another person in the class who’s pet is the opposite gender from yours. Model fertilization by bringing
one of each of your gametes together (you should both randomly pick one of your gametes).
2. Together, complete the Baby Pet table of alleles to reflect the genotype and phenotype that your baby has
inherited from each parent.
3. Using the completed table, draw a picture of your baby to reflect the combination of traits it inherited from
its parents.
4. Final product: Create a mini-family tree poster for your baby that includes:
*A picture of each parent
*Table of alleles for each parent
*An explanation of the process of meiosis that shows how each parent produced 4 gametes
*A picture of the zygote that was produced through fertilization of the egg
*An explanation of the proces of mitosis that shows how the zygote grew into a baby
*A picture of the baby
*Table of alleles for the baby
TABLE OF ALLELES – BABY (COMPLETE 1 PER PAIR)
TRAIT
Sex
Tail
Eye Shape
Eye Color
Eyelashes
Nose Shape
Hair Color
Ear Shape
SYMBOLS FOR EACH ALLELE
XX or XY
Tail (T), No Tail (t)
Slit (E), Oval (e)
Brown (B), Blue (b), green (g), yellow (y)
Eyelashes (L), No Eyelashes (l)
Circle (N), Triangle (n)
Black (H), Brown (h), yellow (y)
Round (R), Pointed (r)
GENOTYPE
PHENOTYPE
Birth Certificate
This document certifies that
day of
was born this
Child’s Name
in the year
Birth Month
Birth Date
in the city of
Birth City
Birth Year
in the great state of Washington to
born in
Mother
_
Father
Signature of Mother
Mother’s Birth City/State
and to
born in
.
Father’s Birth City/State
Signature of Father