Walter Sutton, along with Theodor Boveri, is credited with independently proposing the Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance. This theory states that chromosomes are the carriers of genes, and that these genes are responsible for traits being passed down from parents to offspring.

Here's what Sutton discovered about the relationship between alleles and chromosomes:

* Chromosomes behave in a way that mirrors the behavior of alleles: He observed that chromosomes pair up during meiosis and then separate into gametes (sperm and egg cells). He also noted that the number of chromosomes in a gamete is half the number found in a normal cell. This mirrors the behavior of alleles, which also exist in pairs and segregate during gamete formation.

* Alleles reside on chromosomes: Sutton proposed that the physical basis of Mendel's "factors" (which we now know as genes) were located on chromosomes. He observed that chromosomes separate independently of each other during meiosis, just as alleles do according to Mendel's Law of Independent Assortment.

In summary, Sutton's work helped to establish the fundamental connection between genes, chromosomes, and inheritance. His discoveries paved the way for understanding how traits are passed from one generation to the next.