The pedigree shows the inheritance of a characteristic - HSC - SSCE Biology - Question 8 - 2016 - Paper 1

To determine the pattern of inheritance, we analyze the pedigree chart provided.

1. Observation of Affected Individuals: The pedigree shows both males and females affected by the characteristic, suggesting a potential autosomal pattern rather than a strictly sex-linked pattern.

2. Transmission to Offspring: We notice that an affected male has affected offspring, indicating that the characteristic is likely dominant in nature. If it were recessive, affected males could have normal offspring unless their partner was also affected.

3. Males and Females: The presence of affected males in successive generations, and their ability to transmit the trait to both sons and daughters, points toward the characteristic being dominant and not sex-linked.

Based on these observations, we conclude that the pattern of inheritance shown is (D) Recessive and not sex-linked.