Question

Studies of various songbird populations worldwide have demonstrated that in order to compete with man-made sound, urban songbirds sings songs that are of higher frequency (pitch) and shorter duration.
Which of the following problems might this pose for urban songbird populations?

• A. The birds may eventually become behaviorally isolated from rural songbird populations of the same species.
• B. The birds may undergo adaptive radiation to fill available niches in the urban environment.
• C. The birds may eventually become mechanically isolated from other bird populations of the same species.
• D. The pitch of the birds' songs may become recognizable to other bird species.
• E. The urban songbirds may continue to sing so loudly that they become reproductively isolated from each other.

Answer 1

The correct option is A The birds may eventually become behaviorally isolated from rural songbird populations of the same species.

Isolation is the prevention of mating amongst inter-breeding groups as a result of physical barriers (ecological, geographical etc.) and biotic barriers (physiological, behavioural, mechanical, genetical etc.)

Hence, the urban birds are getting isolated from rural birds due to behavioural isolation in which individuals choose members of their own species and reject other species as mates. So, the correct answer is 'The birds may eventually become behaviourally isolated from rural songbird populations of the same species'