Science Fair Projects on the Eye Color of Animals

Science fair projects on the eye color of animals can be a great way to explore the world of genetics. Since we know a great deal about what contributes to an animal's eye color, it is easy to set up simple science fair projects that elementary and middle school students will enjoy and be able to handle. Below is one eye color science fair experiment that you can complete in less than an hour.

While most medicine-health science fair experiments take days to complete, this one can be completed in a matter of minutes. To complete this project you will need:

To complete this experiment you will first want to start with the oldest members of your family and work your way forward. For example you can start with your grandparents. Write down what their eye color was. For example, your grandfather may have had brown eyes and your grandmother may have had brown eyes. To chart the possible genetics for eye color that these two people could pass on you would need to make several Punnett Squares. The first Punnett square would assume both of your grandparents had a double dominant trait for brown eyes or BB X BB, the second square would assume one grandparent had a double dominant trait for brown eyes and one hybrid trait for brown eyes or BB X Bb, the final square would assume both grandparents were hybrids or Bb X Bb.

The next step is to complete your Punnett Squares. Place one letter next to each box and then chart the results. In the BB X BB Punnett your results will be four squares of BB. In the BB X Bb your results would be BB, BB, Bb, Bb. In the Bb X Bb Punnett Square your results would be BB, Bb, Bb, bb. If your grandparents had any children with blue eyes then you know that both of them had the hybrid eye color trait Bb.

Repeat this experiment for your other set of grandparents and for your parents. What do the results say about the genetics in your family?

This is a very simple science experiment that you can complete. While these medicine-health science fair projects won't win you a blue ribbon at a science fair, they will give you the skills needed for more advanced science fair proejcts. So take the next step.

To advance this sample science experiment you will need to look at more complex genes, or you will need to look at what causes genetic mutations in eye color. For example, what would lead to an eye color that is hazel, green or purple? You can also determine what needs to happen to create offspring with one blue eye and one brown, which is very common in Alaskan Malamutes and Huskies.