Question

Make a scatter plot to help you visualize any patterns that might indicate a relationship between the variables. Plot the independent variable on the x-axis and the dependent variable on the y-axis. (For additional information about graphs, see the Scientific Skills Review in Appendix F and the Study Area of MasteringBiology.)

Short answer

Scatter plots can be used here because all variables are numerical and continuous. Here the independent variable will be geographical distance, and the dependent variable will be reproductive isolation value. So the conclusion can be that with the increase in distance between populations, the degree of reproductive isolation also increases.

Step-by-step solution

Step 1: Independent Variable

The independent variable that is measured is not dependent on other variables, which means it does not change by the presence of other variables.

For example, a distance between two places is an independent variable that is not affected by any factor, but it can affect other factors like speed and the time to walk between them.

Step 2: Dependent Variable

The dependent variable is the variable that changes with the change in other factors. For example, a result in a test will be a dependent variable that depends on many factors like duration of studies, conditions during the test, and sleep duration. It cannot change the independent variables.

Step 3: Population growth rate

Here, a scatter plot is drawn, showing a relationship between two variables: geographical distance and reproduction isolation value. Geographical distance is the independent variable that always remains constant and is taken on the X-axis.

Reproduction isolation distance is the dependent variable that is changed with the change in the distance between populations, so it is taken on the Y-axis. The scatter plot indicates that the reproduction isolation value increases with the increase in distance.