A mother cat is a calico, with orange, black, and white fur. She has three kittens—an orange female, a black and orange female, and a black female. Did she reproduce sexually or asexually? Choose the option that has the best evidence to support your choice.

Question

Sexually, because cats are multicellular, and multicellular organisms typically reproduce sexually.
Sexually, because each kitten looks different than the mother, which is a sign of genetic variation
Asexually, because all of her kittens are females like her, which occurs with asexual reproduction.

Answer 1

The best option is:

Sexually, because each kitten looks different than the mother, which is a sign of genetic variation.

This choice supports sexual reproduction because it demonstrates the genetic variation among the kittens resulting from the combination of genes from both parents. In sexual reproduction, offspring typically inherit a mix of traits from both the mother and the father, leading to distinct appearances and characteristics.