A diagram used in genetics that shows the transmission of a genetic trait over generations of a family.

• A. Pedigree
• B. Phylogeny
• C. Family tree
• D. Chart

Answer: (A)

In genetics, a diagram that follows how a trait is transmitted through generations in a family is a pedigree. It’s built to show who is affected, who may be a carrier, and how the trait passes from parents to offspring across generations. The symbols and shading—males as squares, females as circles, affected individuals shaded—make patterns of inheritance visible, helping determine if a trait is dominant, recessive, or sex-influenced. This is why pedigree is the best answer: the others describe different things. A phylogeny maps evolutionary relationships among species, not inheritance within a single family. A family tree is a general kinship map without the emphasis on trait transmission, and a chart is too broad and non-specific to convey inheritance patterns.