Contribution of T.H. Morgan in genetics.
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T. H. Morgan had discovered the phenomenon of linkage.
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He was the first who crossed mutant yellow bodies and white eyed females with wild types male (gray bodies, red eyed).
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The F1 females were wild type, whereas the F1 males expressed both mutant traits.
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In the F2 generation, 98.7% of the total offspring showed the parental phenotype (yellow bodied, white eyed flies) and wild type flies (gray bodied, red eyed).
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The remaining 1.3% of the off springs was there with recombinant feature develop as a result of separation of genes.
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Depending on this theory Morgan suggested that separation of linked genes occur due to formation of chiasmata which represent points of genetic exchange.
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He also introduced the term “crossing over” that describes the physical exchange leading to recombination.
