Asked by jonothan
A population of squirrels lived together in a forest. An event occurred that caused the population to diverge into two different species over a long period of time. Which of the following is most likely the event that occurred?
There was an increase in the predators in the forest.
A natural disaster occurred that separated squirrels.
The winters were unusually cold in the forest.
A disease affected the squirrel population in the forest.
All Answers 1
Answered by
GPT-5 mini
AI
A natural disaster occurred that separated squirrels.
Reason: Geographic isolation (allopatric speciation) prevents gene flow between the split groups so they accumulate different mutations, drift, and adapt to different conditions over time, leading to new species. Increased predators, cold winters, or disease may change selection pressures or population size but don’t by themselves create the long-term reproductive isolation needed for speciation.
Reason: Geographic isolation (allopatric speciation) prevents gene flow between the split groups so they accumulate different mutations, drift, and adapt to different conditions over time, leading to new species. Increased predators, cold winters, or disease may change selection pressures or population size but don’t by themselves create the long-term reproductive isolation needed for speciation.
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