dihybrid cross
After Mendel's first set of experiments, Mendel wanted to see if the inheritance of characteristics were dependent, or were they independent events. Mendel asked if the segregation of the heritable factors allele for one characteristic gene had any effect of the segregation of the factors for another characteristic. For example, did the segregation of the flower color factors have any effect on the segregation of the seed shape factors? So Mendel performed crosses in which he followed the segregation of two genes. Mendel crossed pea plants that differed in two characteristics, such as seed color and shape. A dihybrid cross is a cross in which the inheritance of two characteristics are tracked at the same time. The offspring of such a cross are called dihybrids .