If a zebra contributes 22 chromosomes, what is the resulting total chromosome count range for the zonkey hybrid?
Answer
53 or 54 chromosomes.
The resulting chromosome count in the zonkey is determined by summing the haploid number contributed by each parent. Since a typical domestic donkey has 62 chromosomes, it contributes half, or 31 chromosomes, to the zygote. If the zebra parent carries 44 chromosomes, it contributes 22; if it carries 46 chromosomes, it contributes 23. Therefore, the total chromosome count for the zonkey offspring will be the sum of these uneven contributions, resulting in either 31 + 22 = 53 chromosomes, or 31 + 23 = 54 chromosomes. This resulting count is uneven and irregular, which is the precise reason the animal is sterile.
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