**Core Concept**
The pedigree in question represents a pattern of inheritance where the affected individuals are predominantly female, and the disease is transmitted from an affected mother to her offspring. This suggests an X-linked pattern of inheritance, where the gene responsible for the condition is located on the X chromosome.

**Why the Correct Answer is Right**
The correct answer is X-linked dominant because the disease is manifest in both males and females, but females are more frequently affected. This is due to the phenomenon of X-chromosome inactivation, where one of the two X chromosomes in each female cell is randomly inactivated. In X-linked dominant conditions, the dominant allele on the active X chromosome is sufficient to cause the disease, whereas in X-linked recessive conditions, the disease is typically seen in males who have only one X chromosome. In this pedigree, the affected females are likely homozygous for the dominant allele, while the affected males are hemizygous for the dominant allele.

**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect**
* **Option A:** Autosomal dominant inheritance would typically result in equal numbers of affected males and females, which is not observed in this pedigree.
* **Option B:** X-linked recessive inheritance would primarily affect males, who have only one X chromosome, whereas females would be carriers and rarely affected.
* **Option D:** Autosomal recessive inheritance would result in equal numbers of affected males and females, but the disease would be more common in consanguineous families or populations with a higher frequency of the recessive allele.

**Clinical Pearl / High-Yield Fact**
To distinguish between X-linked dominant and X-linked recessive conditions, look for the presence of affected females, who are more likely to be homozygous for the dominant allele. Additionally, X-linked dominant conditions often have a higher frequency of affected females than X-linked recessive conditions.

✓ Correct Answer: C. X-linked dominant