Final answer:
The assumption based on the standard ultimate life table and uniform distribution of deaths implies that mortality is equally spread across each year of age, meaning that within a specific age year, deaths occur evenly.
Step-by-step explanation:
The information given indicates that mortality assumptions are based on a standard ultimate life table, where deaths are uniformly distributed over each year of age. This means that the deaths are equally spread across each age year, rather than being concentrated in specific age groups or happening randomly without age consideration. Over time, the life table may reveal that mortality increases with age, but this assumption says nothing about how much it increases—that would depend on the specific rates in the life table.
Life tables, such as those created from studies of Dall mountain sheep, can show patterns where the mortality rate is higher at certain age intervals, but the assumption of uniform distribution of deaths emphasizes that within any given year of age, deaths are spread evenly throughout the year.
The correct answer addressing what this information implies about the mortality assumption is (c) Deaths are equally spread across each year of age.