Final answer:
Female mammals often show phenotypic mosaicism due to random X inactivation that leads to a mosaic pattern of gene expression for X-linked genes. The correct answer to the question is E) phenotypic mosaicism.
Step-by-step explanation:
X-linked genes in female mammals often demonstrate phenotypic mosaicism. This occurs because female mammals have two X chromosomes, giving them a double genetic dose of X-linked genes. To maintain gene dosage balance with males, who have only one X chromosome, females undergo a process known as X inactivation.
Early in development, one of the X chromosomes in each cell becomes inactivated and condenses into a structure called a Barr body.
This inactivation is random, meaning that in females heterozygous for X-linked genes, some cells express one allele while others express the alternate allele, resulting in a mosaic pattern of phenotypic expression. This mosaicism can be observed in 'tortoiseshell' cats with heterozygous X-linked coat color genes. Hence, the correct option for the demonstration of X-linked genes in female mammals is E) phenotypic mosaicism.