Explain the inheritance of dark brown, orange, and tortoiseshell coat colors in cats. select the four correct statements brown and orange are determined by alternate alleles of a y-linked gene. brown and orange are determined by alternate alleles of an autosome-linked gene. tortoiseshell is the color of heterozygous females. brown females are homozygous for the brown allele, and orange females are homozygous for the orange allele. males are hemizygous and are either brown or orange, depending on which allele is on their y chromosome. brown and orange are determined by alternate alleles of an x-linked gene. tortoiseshell is the color of heterozygous males. males are hemizygous and are either brown or orange, depending on which allele is on their x chromosome. females are hemizygous and are either brown or orange, depending on which allele is on their x chromosome. brown and orange are determined by alternate alleles of an x- and y-linked gene

-Tortoiseshell is the color of heterozygous females.

-Brown females are homozygous for the brown allele, and orange females are homozygous for the orange allele.

-Brown and orange are determined by alternate alleles of an X-linked gene.

- Males are hemizygous and are either brown or orange, depending on which allele is on their X chromosome.

Explanation:

The dark brown and orange coat colors are determined by a gene with two alleles located in the X chromosome.

Females have two X chromosomes, but during development each cell undergoes a random X chromosome inactivation process, by which one of the two X chromosomes will become inactivated and its expression is supressed. In an adult female cat, some cells will express the genes in one X chromosome, and other cells will express the genes in the other X chromosome.

All brown females are homozygous for the brown allele and all orange females are homozygous for the orange allele.

Tortoiseshell cats have patches of orange fur and patches of brown fur, so they must be heterozygous.

Males only have one X chromosome, so they are hemizygous and will be brown or orange only.