What explanation fits the results of crossing a rose comb chicken with a pea comb chicken?

When considering the genetics of chicken comb shapes, it is essential to understand the inheritance patterns involved. In a cross between a rose comb chicken and a pea comb chicken, the correct explanation is that the phenotype observed is consistent with the dominance relationship of these traits.

Rose comb is indeed dominant over pea comb, which explains why crossing these two types yields specific offspring phenotypes. When these two combs are crossed, the offspring will display the rose comb phenotype if they inherit the dominant allele from the rose comb parent. This direct observation of dominance is critical in understanding the resulting comb types in the first-generation offspring.

The assertion that walnut combs arise from a dihybrid cross indicates a more complicated interaction of two genes, where different alleles might lead to various comb types. However, this choice does not directly relate to the observed results from a simple cross between rose and pea comb chickens.

By focusing on the clear dominance relation between the rose comb and pea comb, it becomes evident that the traits follow Mendelian patterns, where one trait is dominant over another. Understanding these relationships is fundamental to genetics, particularly regarding inheritance patterns among traits like comb shapes in chickens.