What is the ultimate source of genetic variation?

Coat color in cats is determined by genes at several different loci. at one locus on the x chromosome, one allele (x ) encodes black fur and another allele (xo) encodes orange fur. females can be black (x x ), orange (xoxo), or a mixture of orange and black called tortoiseshell (x xo). males are either black (x y) or orange (xoy). bill has a female tortoiseshell cat named patches. one night, patches escapes from bill\'s house, spends the night out, and mates with a stray male. patches later gives birth to the following kittens: one orange male, one black male, two tortoiseshell females, and one orange female. what are the genotypes of patches, the stray male, and the kittens?

All individuals have two alleles for a given trait. according to mendel's these alleles are passed down one each from both mother and father.

Crossing over and independent assortment are important activities that occur during meiosis. what is the significance of these activities