We simulate finite-temperature QCD with two flavors of dynamical staggered quarks on a ${10}^3$×4 lattice. Along with the real part of the Polyakov loop and with the chiral condensate, we monitor the behavior of the topological charge across the phase transition. For two different values of the quark mass ($ma=0.2\mathrm{}$, $ma=0.025\mathrm{}$) we find good evidence that these observables are equivalent characteristics of the phase in which the theory finds itself. However, the phase transition is clearly steeper for $ma=0.025\mathrm{}$. Some implications of these results are discussed.

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