Download Mystery at the Termond Estate

Name:
Date:
Period:
Mystery at the Termond Estate
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. Create Ralph and Marie’s family pedigree and include all the correct blood types, traits, and relationships.
2. Analyze Ralph and Marie’s famliy genotypes from the pedigree and solve the family mystery.
Count Ralph and his wife Marie, owners of the Termond Estate, were an elderly couple of some wealth. Ralph died suddenly,
when he was struck by lightning in his metal rowboat while fishing in Termond Lake. His body was never recovered. All Count
Ralph’s children and grandchildren (who happen to be at the estate at the time for a Father’s Day celebration), eagerly awaited
the reading of Count Ralph’s will, since they all knew that they would provide each blood relative with an equal share of his
estate wealth.
When the lawyer arrived, he noticed that a sum of money had been stolen from Count Ralph’s safe. The sum missing was
equal to one person’s portion of the estate value. In addition, a small amount of fresh blood was found on the inside of the safe
door, presumably belonging to the thief. As the lawyer was announcing this news, the maid rushed into the room and revealed
that she had walked into Count Ralph’s study and observed the thief quickly slipping out of the patio doors. She had not seen
the face or been able to identify the thief, since he or she wore a mask and a bulky overcoat. She did see, however, that the thief
had an attached ear lobe.
Police Detective Morse was called to the Termond Estate. Upon his arrival, he immediately ordered blood typing tests on all
in the house, and on the blood smear on the safe (found to be type A-). He also noted the ear lobe type of everyone. After
studying the data, Morse called all of the relatives together and announced that he had discovered the identity of the thief. One
of the children or grandchildren was not really a blood relative, and the theft of the money was to ensure to share the
inheritance with him or her. The non-blood relative is directly related to the theft in the pedigree.
Using the data table on the next page, answer the following:
1.
Draw this family’s pedigree to help you discover the guilty party (on the blank sheet you picked up). Include the
following on this pedigree:
a. Make sure it is neat. Each generation should be marked with roman numerals on the left of your tree and all
individuals of that generation should be on the same horizontal level (use a ruler!). Start pedigree with pencil
and then outline and shade in with color.
b. Write the names of each family member on the pedigree.
c. Write the blood types of each family member in the shapes. (Blood types, not genotypes).
d. Write the genotypes for free or attached under each shape. If the genotype is unknown for the second allele in
dominant traits, write both options. Color in all the attached ear lobes. (You need to determine which is
dominant/recessive).
e. Have a key for the allele that you choose.
2.
Who was the thief? Explain how Morse was able to identify the thief.
3.
For which individual was the money intended? (i.e., who was not the true blood relative?)
4.
What could Ralph’s blood type be? Show your work.
5.
Is having attached ear lobes, dominant or recessive? Explain your answer.
1
Morse’s Data Table:
**Allele Key:
Name
Blood Type
Ear lobes
Ralph
?
Free
N/A
Marie
AB-
Free
N/A
Marcia
O-
Free
Married to Peter
Peter
AB-
Attached
Ralph & Marie
Margaret
A+
Free
Ralph & Marie
David
B+
Free
Married to Margaret
Richard
AB-
Free
Ralph & Marie
Olivia
A-
Attached
Married to Richard
Stephen
B+
Free
Ralph & Marie
Janette
A-
Free
Marcia & Peter
Brian
B-
Attached
Marcia & Peter
Ted
B-
Free
Marcia & Peter
Mark
AB-
Free
Margaret & David
Ellen
A-
Attached
Margaret & David
Mike
AB-
Free
Richard & Olivia
Alex
A+
Attached
Richard & Olivia
Lauren
A-
Free
Richard & Olivia
Maid
AB+
Free
N/A
2
Genotype
(earlobe)
Parents/
Relationship