Final answer:
The most likely correct statement is that white squirrels have the genotype pp where the p allele is a loss-of-function allele responsible for pigment production, whereas gray squirrels can have genotypes PP or Pp.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a population of wild squirrels, where most have gray fur and an occasional squirrel is completely white, it is most likely that the white squirrels are pp, and the p allele is a loss-of-function allele. This is because the p allele, being recessive, is unable to produce the enzyme necessary for pigment formation when present in the homozygous recessive state (pp). In contrast, the gray squirrels, displaying the dominant phenotype, can either be homozygous dominant (PP) or heterozygous (Pp), as both will produce the enzyme needed for pigment formation and result in gray fur.
The correct question is: In a population of wild squirrels, most of them have gray fur, but an occasional squirrel is completely white. If we let P and p represent dominant and recessive alleles, respectively, of a gene that encodes an enzyme necessary for pigment formation, which of the following statements do you think is most likely to be correct?
a. The white squirrels are pp, and the p allele is a loss-of-function allele
b. The gray squirrels are pp, and the p allele is a loss-of-function allele
c. The white squirrels are PP, and the P allele is a loss-of-function allele
d. The gray squirrels are PP, and the P allele is a loss-of-function allele