In: Biology
Which of the following scenarios represents an example of sympatric speciation?
A. Two populations of fish separated into species when a dam was built and their lake was divided in half.
B. Two species of fly breed at different times of year because they feed on different plant species in the same habitat.
C. Two bird populations are separated by the Rocky Mountains and are therefore unable to interbreed.
D. As continents drifted apart, populations of pterodactyls were eventually unable to fly far enough to interbreed.
allopatric speciation occurs when two populations are separated by a geographic barrier that blocks the gene flow between two populations.
Two populations of fish separated into species when a dam was built and their lake was divided in half- this is an example of allopatric speciation, dam separates two populations.
Two bird populations are separated by the Rocky Mountains and are therefore unable to interbreed-this is an example of allopatric speciation, rocky mountains separate two populations.
As continents drifted apart, populations of pterodactyls were eventually unable to fly far enough to interbreed- this is an example of allopatric speciation, continent drift separates two populations.
Sympatric speciation occurs when two populations living in the same habitat, have a different niche, for example they forage at different times, so they don`t find each other and mate.
so the answer is
B. Two species of fly breed at different times of year because they feed on different plant species in the same habitat.