What describes the offspring from crosses between parents with different traits?

• A. Offspring from crosses between parents with different traits
• B. Offspring that resemble both parents equally
• C. Offspring of two parental lines
• D. Offspring produced by self-pollination

Answer: (A)

When you cross parents that differ for a trait, the offspring are hybrids. Hybrids arise because you’re mixing two different alleles from distinct parental backgrounds, often producing heterozygous offspring for that trait. In basic Mendelian crosses, the F1 generation typically shows the dominant trait, even though its genotype includes one allele from each parent. For example, crossing true-breeding tall plants with true-breeding short plants yields tall hybrids—the offspring are hybrids for height. That description—offspring from crosses between parents with different traits—best captures what hybrids are. Other options describe different situations (resembling both parents equally, being from two parental lines, or arising from self-pollination) that don’t specifically define hybrids from crosses of contrasting traits.