Tortoise shell cats, like the one shown above, are always female. what scientific phenomenon explains the color pattern of this cat? a) random x inactivation b) acetylation of the sry gene c) alternate splicing of exons d) chromosomal deletion of regions of the x chromosome

Random X inactivation The random coloration pattern arises from the fact that female mammals have two X chromosomes and the orange and black colors are located on the X chromosome. In female mammals, one X chromosome is inactivated in each somatic cell, but the pattern is random. This means that the color pattern during embryonic development will be a mixture of orange and black. (USATESTPREP answer and explanation)