A horse has 64 chromosomes and a donkey has 62 chromosomes. A cross between a female horse and a male donkey produces a mule, which is usually sterile. How many chromosomes does a mule have? Can you think of any reasons for the fact that most mules are sterile?

Question

Biology

Fido

26 May, 00:25

A horse has 64 chromosomes and a donkey has 62 chromosomes. A cross between a female horse and a male donkey produces a mule, which is usually sterile. How many chromosomes does a mule have? Can you think of any reasons for the fact that most mules are sterile?

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Damion Bush · Answer 1

The horse has 64 number of chromosomes and the donkey has 62 number of chromosomes.

At the time of recombination the number of chromosomes which will be formed will be odd in number.

32 from horse and 31 from donkey which combines to form 63 pair. This is a odd number so there can be no equal number of segregation of chromosomes.

This is the fact the offspring produced by crossing a donkey and horse is sterile.