Alfred Sturtevant is known for his contribution in

Options

A. naming the Y chromosome
B. preparing first chromosomal map for Drosophila
C. discovery of mitotic crossover in Drophila
D. preparing first chromosomal map for garden pea

Answer

**Step-by-Step Solution:**

1. **Identify Alfred Sturtevant's Background:**
- Alfred Henry Sturtevant was an American geneticist known for his significant contributions to the field of genetics.

2. **Understand the Context of Genetics:**
- At the time of Sturtevant's work, the field of genetics was still in its infancy. Gregor Mendel had established the laws of inheritance, but the mechanisms behind heredity were not well understood.

3. **Mendel's Contribution:**
- Mendel proposed that certain factors (now known as genes) are passed from parents to offspring, but he did not know about their physical basis or how they were arranged.

4. **Introduction of Chromosomal Theory:**
- The chromosomal theory of inheritance later clarified that these factors are actually genes located on chromosomes, arranged in a linear manner.

5. **Sturtevant's Research on Drosophila:**
- In 1913, Sturtevant conducted experiments using Drosophila melanogaster (fruit flies) to study genetic linkage.

6. **Development of the Chromosomal Map:**
- Sturtevant developed a method to determine the linkage between genes and created the first chromosomal map, indicating the positions of genes on chromosomes based on their linkage groups.

7. **Conclusion:**
- Sturtevant is primarily known for his creation of the first chromosomal map using Drosophila, which was a groundbreaking contribution to genetics.

**Final Answer:**
Alfred Sturtevant is known for his contribution to the development of the first chromosomal map using linkage groups in Drosophila.

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