Background: Nearly all animals make use of some form of sexual reproduction. They produce haploid gametes by meiosis; the smaller, motile gametes are spermatozoa and the larger, non-motile gametes are ova. These fuse to form zygotes, which develop via mitosis into a hollow sphere, called a blastula. In sponges, blastula larvae swim to a new location, attach to the seabed, and develop into a new sponge. In most other groups, the blastula  undergoes more complicated rearrangement. It first invaginates to form a gastrula with a digestive chamber and two separate germ layers, an external ectoderm and an internal endoderm. In most cases, a third germ layer, the mesoderm, also develops between them. These germ layers then differentiate to form tissues and organs.Repeated instances of mating with a close relative during sexual reproduction generally leads to inbreeding depression within a population due to the increased prevalence of harmful recessive traits. Animals have evolved numerous mechanisms for avoiding close inbreeding. In some species, such as the splendid fairywren (Malurus splendens), females benefit by mating with multiple males, thus producing more offspring of higher genetic quality.Some animals are capable of asexual reproduction, which often results in a genetic clone of the parent. This may take place through fragmentation; budding, such as in Hydra and other cnidarians; or parthenogenesis, where fertile eggs are produced without mating, such as in aphids.

Situation: Phillip has recently discovered two new organisms while on a deep sea dive in the Pacific Ocean. He is trying to determine the different characteristics of each organism, including their reproductive processes. He collects samples of the offspring of each organism and learns that the offspring of organism A is a genetic clone of the parent organism while organism B is not.

Question: Which organism reproduced asexually?

Situation: Phillip has recently discovered two new organisms while on a deep sea dive in the Pacific Ocean. He is trying to determine the different characteristics of each organism, including their reproductive processes. He collects samples of the offspring of each organism and learns that the offspring of organism A is a genetic clone of the parent organism while organism B is not.

Question: Which organism reproduced sexually?

Situation: Phillip has recently discovered two new organisms while on a deep sea dive in the Pacific Ocean. He is trying to determine the different characteristics of each organism, including their reproductive processes. He collects samples of the offspring of each organism and learns that the offspring of organism A is a genetic clone of the parent organism while organism B is not.

Question: Did organism A reproduce sexually or asexually?

Situation: Phillip has recently discovered two new organisms while on a deep sea dive in the Pacific Ocean. He is trying to determine the different characteristics of each organism, including their reproductive processes. He collects samples of the offspring of each organism and learns that the offspring of organism A is a genetic clone of the parent organism while organism B is not.

Question: Did organism B reproduce sexually or asexually?

Situation: Phillip has recently discovered two new organisms while on a deep sea dive in the Pacific Ocean. He is trying to determine the different characteristics of each organism, including their reproductive processes. He collects samples of the offspring of each organism and learns that the offspring of organism A is a genetic clone of the parent organism while organism B is not.

Question: Which organism reproduced using haploid gametes?

Situation: Phillip has recently discovered two new organisms while on a deep sea dive in the Pacific Ocean. He is trying to determine the different characteristics of each organism, including their reproductive processes. He collects samples of the offspring of each organism and learns that the offspring of organism A is a genetic clone of the parent organism while organism B is not.

Question: Which organism reproduced via fragmentation, budding or parthenogenesis?