Question

In a species of rat, height is a polygentic trait. What does it mean that is a triat is polygentic?

Answer 1

Another exception to Mendel’s rules is polygenic inheritance, which occurs when a trait is controlled by more than one gene. This means that each dominant allele "adds" to the expression of the next dominant allele.

Usually, traits are polygenic when there is wide variation in the trait. For example, humans can be many different sizes. Height is a polygenic trait, controlled by at least three genes with six alleles. If you are dominant for all of the alleles for height, then you will be very tall.