(D) Linkage is defined as the coexistence of two or more genes on the same chromosome. When genes are situated on the same chromosome and lie close to each other,they tend to be inherited together,a phenomenon known as linkage. In a dihybrid cross involving linked genes,the parental combinations are significantly more frequent than the recombinant combinations in the $F_{2}$ generation. This deviates from the Mendelian dihybrid ratio of $9:3:3:1$,as the linked genes do not assort independently. The degree of linkage depends on the physical distance between the genes; closer genes show stronger linkage and fewer recombinants. For example,in Drosophila,genes for yellow body and white eyes are tightly linked,resulting in a high percentage of parental types and a very low percentage of recombinants in the $F_{2}$ generation.