What causes variety in the characteristics between organisms of the same species?

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?

Abird flies by moving its wings up and down. which two systems are most directly responsible for the movement of a bird's wings? a. skeletal and muscular systems b. respiratory and muscular systems c. skeletal and digestive systems d. respiratory and digestive systems

Which of the following statements about genes and traits is true? a single trait can be controlled by multiple genes. a single gene can control a single trait. a single trait can alter multiple genes. a single gene can influence multiple traits.