In 2012, I saved some seeds from a "Patty Pan" squash I grew in the garden. This spring, I grew three of the saved seeds and had two survive to maturity. I was expecting the plants to produce the flying-saucer shaped fruit that the "Patty Pan" squash is known for, so I was surprised to see what developed. The fruit from both plants was elongated and grew in yellow (later maturing to orange).
I decided it was time to investigate the genetics of squash fruit shape. I recalled seeing this figure in some ancient genetics text book explaining the common shapes of squash as being due to two interacting genes and eventually I found a version of it. The "Patty Pan" squash shape is caused by having a dominant allele for each of the two genes, while the elongated "Zucchini" shape is caused by being homozygous recessive for each of the two genes. A squash with a spherical/pumpkin shape has a dominant allele for only one of the two genes.
Since my "Patty Pan" squash produced elongated children, it had to carry a recessive allele for each gene, thus it had the genetic composition of (AaBb). I didn't control the pollination which led two the seeds I grew, so the father is unknown.
The first model for this cross is that the pollen came from a male flower on the same plant.
Both pollen and egg had to carry recessive versions of each gene. A quarter of the egg and pollen cells would be double-recessive (or double-dominant), so the probability of this cross resulting in the observed progeny would be 1/16. The probability that two progeny would have the double-recessive trait is (1/16)^2 = 1/256. This is not exactly a likely probability.
The second model for this cross is that the pollen came from a male flower on a nearby "Zucchini" squash I was also growing.
A quarter of the egg cells and every pollen cell would be double-recessive, so the probability of this cross resulting in the observed progeny would be 1/4. The probability that two progeny would have the double-recessive trait is (1/4)^2 = 1/16. This is also not exactly a likely probability.
A third model is that the classical story of squash shape is wrong for the genetics I am playing with. Generally, I would consider this also to not exactly be a likely probability.
To discriminate between the three models, I need more data. Right now there are too few data points to be certain and unlikely events happen all the time.
I still have six viable-looking seeds from the parental "Patty Pan" squash and this season I saved almost every seed from a fruit each of the two progeny plants.
Next year, I plan to grow out the six remaining first generation seeds and as many of the second generation seeds as I can find homes for. I expect I will be sharing lots of squash with everyone I know.
Part 2
I decided it was time to investigate the genetics of squash fruit shape. I recalled seeing this figure in some ancient genetics text book explaining the common shapes of squash as being due to two interacting genes and eventually I found a version of it. The "Patty Pan" squash shape is caused by having a dominant allele for each of the two genes, while the elongated "Zucchini" shape is caused by being homozygous recessive for each of the two genes. A squash with a spherical/pumpkin shape has a dominant allele for only one of the two genes.
Since my "Patty Pan" squash produced elongated children, it had to carry a recessive allele for each gene, thus it had the genetic composition of (AaBb). I didn't control the pollination which led two the seeds I grew, so the father is unknown.
The first model for this cross is that the pollen came from a male flower on the same plant.
(AaBb) x (AaBb) -> (aabb)
Both pollen and egg had to carry recessive versions of each gene. A quarter of the egg and pollen cells would be double-recessive (or double-dominant), so the probability of this cross resulting in the observed progeny would be 1/16. The probability that two progeny would have the double-recessive trait is (1/16)^2 = 1/256. This is not exactly a likely probability.
The second model for this cross is that the pollen came from a male flower on a nearby "Zucchini" squash I was also growing.
(AaBb) x (aabb) -> (aabb)
A quarter of the egg cells and every pollen cell would be double-recessive, so the probability of this cross resulting in the observed progeny would be 1/4. The probability that two progeny would have the double-recessive trait is (1/4)^2 = 1/16. This is also not exactly a likely probability.
A third model is that the classical story of squash shape is wrong for the genetics I am playing with. Generally, I would consider this also to not exactly be a likely probability.
To discriminate between the three models, I need more data. Right now there are too few data points to be certain and unlikely events happen all the time.
I still have six viable-looking seeds from the parental "Patty Pan" squash and this season I saved almost every seed from a fruit each of the two progeny plants.
Next year, I plan to grow out the six remaining first generation seeds and as many of the second generation seeds as I can find homes for. I expect I will be sharing lots of squash with everyone I know.
Part 2