Question

All of the following results in speciation except

• A. Random mating among members of a large population of a species
• B. Occurrence of hybridization between individuals from two different species
• C. Development of different mating behavior by some members of a species
• D. Emigration to a specialized microenvironment by some members of a species
• E. Formation of a physical barrier that blocks gene flow between members of a species

Answer 1

The correct option is A Random mating among members of a large population of a species

All of the given options result in speciation except random mating among members of a large population of a species.

Speciation is defined as the formation of new and distinct species in the course of evolution. Speciation involves the splitting of a single evolutionary lineage into two or more genetically independent lineages.

A species is an actually or potentially interbreeding population that does not interbreed with other such populations when there is an opportunity to do so.

An example of speciation is the Galápagos finch. Different species of these birds live on different islands in the Galápagos archipelago, located in the Pacific Ocean off South America. The finches are isolated from one another by the ocean. Over millions of years, each species of finch developed a unique beak that is especially adapted to the kinds of food it eats. Some finches have large, blunt beaks that can crack the hard shells of nuts and seeds. Other finches have long, thin beaks that can probe into cactus flowers without the bird being poked by the cactus spines. Still, other finches have medium-sized beaks that can catch and grasp insects. Because they are isolated, the birds don’t breed with one another and have therefore developed into unique species with unique characteristics. This is called allopatric speciation.