In "Nine Wives," the FBI enlists Charlie's help to find he leader of a polygamous cult, Abner 'The Prophet' Stone. Charlie and the FBI find his trailer, but it is empty except for a quilt and a picture of a family tree that shows some inbreeding in the lineage of the cult. Charlie is able to use these diagrams to calculate The Prophet's 'inbreeding coefficient' to assist in determining his location.
Students will calculate the inbreeding coefficients given a family tree.
Before the Activity
Download the attached PDF and look over the Teacher Page.
During the Activity
Discuss the materials from the Student Page with your class.
After the Activity
Encourage students to explore web sites and questions from the Extensions Page.