Which type of scientific statement is defined as a statement of fact that is generally accepted to be true and universal becau
it has always been observed to be true?
o theory
o probability
o law

To answer this question, researchers studied populations of the dusky salamander (desmognathus ochrophaeus) living on different mountain ranges in the southern appalachian mountains. the researchers tested the reproductive isolation of pairs of salamander populations by leaving one male and one female together and later checking the females for the presence of sperm. four mating combinations were tested for each pair of populations (a and b)—two within the same population (female a with male a and female b with male b) and two between populations (female a with male b and female b with male a). the proportion of successful matings for each mating combination was measured. for example, when all the matings of a particular combination were successful, the researchers gave it a value of 1; when none of the matings were successful, they gave it a value of 0. then the researchers calculated an index of reproductive isolation that ranged from 0 (no isolation) to 2 (full isolation). the reproductive isolation value for two populations is the sum of the proportion of successful matings of each type within populations (aa + bb) minus the sum of the proportion of successful matings of each type between populations (ab + ba). the table provides data for the geographic distances and reproductive isolation values for 27 pairs of dusky salamander populations.

In sheep, the allele for belly fur (a) is dominant to the allele for no belly fur (a). a mother with the genotype aa and a father with the genotype aa produce an offspring.

Acertain species of fish can have either long or short fins. the allele for long fins is dominant over the allele for short fins. a heterozygous, long-finned fish is crossed with a homozygous, short-finned fish. of the offspring, will have long fins and be , and will have short fins and be .