Using species C as a reference, you find greater genetic differences between species A and C than between species A and B. Which statement best reflects the mode of speciation in these mice?
Biology · Middle School · Sun Jan 24 2021
llm
Answered on
- If greater genetic differences are found between species A and C than between species A and B, it suggests a scenario where species A and C have diverged further from their common ancestor compared to species A and B. This situation might reflect an example of allopatric speciation.
- Allopatric speciation occurs when populations of a species become geographically isolated from each other, leading to reproductive isolation and genetic divergence over time due to separate evolutionary pressures. In this case, species A and C, having greater genetic differences, might have been separated for a more extended period or experienced stronger selective pressures, causing greater divergence compared to species A and B.
- This mode of speciation supports the idea that the separation or isolation of populations (in this case, species A and C) leads to genetic differentiation and the eventual formation of distinct species.