The tetrad-pollen model fails to explain the bias in Mendel's pea (Pisum sativum) experiments

Genetics. 2007 Dec;177(4):2531-4. doi: 10.1534/genetics.107.079970.

Abstract

For >40 years, geneticists and science historians have appealed to the tetrad-pollen model as an explanation of the bias toward expectation in Mendel's data, albeit without experimental support. Our experiments demonstrate that pollen sampling during self-pollination in pea conforms to the binomial distribution with no evidence of a tetrad-pollen effect.

MeSH terms

  • Bias
  • Binomial Distribution
  • Models, Genetic*
  • Pisum sativum / genetics*
  • Pollen / genetics
  • Pollination / genetics*