Final answer:
The student's question pertains to the prediction of offspring genotypes based on parental genotypes using population genetics principles and tools like Punnett squares in biology.
Step-by-step explanation:
The study of genetic inheritance and the prediction of offspring genotypes are important topics in biology, particularly in understanding population genetics. When considering two parents' genotypes and predicting their offspring's genotypes, biologists make use of tools like the Punnett square, which displays the different possible genetic combinations and their statistical probabilities. The principle that the sum of the genotype frequencies in a population (p² + 2pq + q²) equals one is rooted in the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, assuming no other evolutionary forces are acting on the population.
In the student's question, a cross between two individuals with genotypes 'S-' and 'ss' results in offspring with different ratios of 'S-' and 'ss'. If 'S-' represents a heterozygous condition and 'ss' indicates homozygous recessive, then Punnett squares and probability calculations based on Mendelian genetics can predict the expected frequencies of each genotype among the offspring. These frequencies can further inform researchers about the phenotypic distribution within the studied population.