Both early american indians and white settlers typically established most villages and towns near a. rivers b. railroads c. trading posts d. animal migratory routes

you didn't give any options but heres what i can tell you: an inference is likely to change based on additional observations. the latter is something that you have seen or sensed using your sensory organs while the former is like a conclusion out from what you have observed.

emerging idea only occurs as a raw idea that could appear out of nowhere. meanwhile, to reach scientific consensus , that idea must be structured and tested over and over again through various experiments. the scientific consensus transforms the raw idea into idea that is more reliable through the process of scientific elimination.