Describe the segregation of wild-type and mutant mice | Homework Helpers

Dr. James Cebulski has obtained two true-breeding strains of mice, each homozygous for an independently discovered recessive mutation that prevents the formation of hair on the body. The discoverer of one of the mutant strains calls his mutation naked, and the other researcher calls her strain hairless. To determine whether the two mutations are simply alleles for the same gene, Dr. Cebulski crosses naked and hairless mice with each other. All the offspring are phenotypically wild-type. After intercrossing these F1 mice, however, Cebulski observes 115 wild-type mice and 85 mutant mice in the F2.

(i) Are the naked and hairless mutations alleles for the same gene? Why or why not?

(ii) What is the most likely explanation for the segregation of wild-type and mutant mice in the F2? Please show all your calculations and be sure to use the Chi-Square Test to determine the statistical significance of the observed data.