Question

Linkage was discovered by
A. Punnet
B. Mendel
C. Muller
D. Morgan

Answer 1

The term linkage was coined by TH Morgan, who carried out several dihybrid crosses in Drosophila. With this, he was able to study genes that were sex-linked. He also described the physical association of genes on a chromosome.

Complete answer:

Option A- Punnet
Reginald Crundall Punnett born on 20 June 1875 was a British geneticist. He co-founded the Journal of Genetics in 1910 with William Bateson. Punnett is best remembered for creating the Punnett square. It is a tool still used by biologists. It is used to predict the probability of possible genotypes of offspring.

Option B- Mendel
Gregor Johann Mendel was a scientist. He was born in a German-speaking family in the Silesian part of the Austrian Empire. He gained posthumous recognition as he was the founder of the modern science of genetics.

Option C- Muller
Hermann Joseph Muller was a geneticist, educator, and Nobel laureate. He was best known for his work on the physiological and genetic effects of radiation. He was outspoken and had strong political beliefs.

Option D- Morgan
Thomas Hunt Morgan was an evolutionary biologist, geneticist, embryologist, and science author. He won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1933 for discoveries elucidating the role of chromosomes in heredity.

Hence, the correct answer is option (D).

Note: The concept of linkage was given in 1910 by Thomas Hunt Morgan. It has its origin in the Demonstration. Morgan saw a peculiar inheritance pattern of the white eye (W) gene of Drosophila melanogaster.