In the California poppy, an allele for yellow flowers (C) is dominant over an allele for white flowers (c). At an independently assorting locus, an allele for entire petals (F) is dominant over an allele for fringed petals (f). A plant that is homozygous for yellow and entire petals is crossed with a plant that is white and fringed. A resulting F_1 plant is then crossed with a plant that is white and fringed, and the following progeny are produced: 54 yellow and entire, 58 yellow and fringed, 53 white and entire, and 10 white and fringed.

Using a chi-square test to compare the observed numbers with those expected for the cross, what can you conclude in regard to whether the ratios observed occurred due to random variations?

a. With four degrees of freedom, the chi-square value is greater than 14.860 for a probability value of less than 0.005, so the deviation between observed and expected was likely to occur by chance.

b. With four degrees of freedom, the chi-square value is greater than 14.860 for a probability value of less than 0.005, so the deviation between observed and expected was not likely to occur by chance.

c. With three degrees of freedom, the chi-square value is greater than 12.838 for a probability value of less than 0.005, so the deviation between observed and expected was likely to occur by chance.

d. With three degrees of freedom, the chi-square value is greater than 12.838 for a probability value of less than 0.005, so the deviation between observed and expected was not likely to occur by chance

e. The determination cannot be made with the information given.