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.

Answer 1

The mother cat most likely reproduced sexually. This is supported by the fact that she has kittens with a combination of different fur colors. In sexually reproducing organisms, offspring inherit traits from both parents, resulting in genetic variation. In this case, the mother cat's calico fur pattern is a result of a combination of genes contributed by both the father and mother cat, which is indicative of sexual reproduction. Additionally, the presence of different fur colors in the kittens suggests diverse genetic contributions, further supporting the notion of sexual reproduction.