Puzzles and Games

Martian Genetics

Puzzle 1: Snot and the Forbidden Dance

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The kind of mucus a Martian excretes is determined by a single autosomal (which is to say, not gender-specific) chromosome that comes in two varieties (M or m). The alleles are codominant, so there are three types of mucus: blue (MM), red (mm) and explosive (Mm).

How a Martian dances is also determined genetically, again via a single autosomal codominant gene (D or d). A Martian might dance the Lambada (DD), the Macarena (dd) or the Twist (Dd).

A traditional Martian marriage consists of one female Martian and two males. The female Martian only mates with her two husbands. One day, you meet a married trio:

• Yngblo, a female, who excretes red mucus and dances the Twist.
• Pflang, a male, who excretes blue mucus and dances the Lambada.
• Jstlab, a male, who excretes explosive mucus and dances the Macarena.