If a male cat with orange fur produces female offspring with calico fur,what color was the mother cat?
A)orange
B)black
C)calico
D)black or calico
E)orange or calico

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The coloration of calico cats is a result of X-chromosome inactivation, which is a phenomenon that occurs in female mammals. Since male cats (XY) with orange fur can only pass on the orange gene (O) or a non-orange gene (o), and since calico cats are typically female (XX) with a combination of orange (O) and black (B) fur, the mother must provide the black fur gene. Therefore, the mother could be either black or calico, as calico females also carry the black fur gene.

If a Male Cat with Orange Fur Produces Female Offspring