Approximately 3.5 million years ago the Isthmus of Panama formed.This new landmass severed the connection between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.An ancestral fish population (porkfish)was split in two by this event;the two populations no longer interbreed and are two distinct species.This type of speciation is called

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Allopatric speciation occurs when a physical barrier, like a new landmass, separates a population into two geographically isolated groups. Over time, the two populations accumulate genetic differences that prevent interbreeding, leading to the formation of two distinct species. In this case, the formation of the Isthmus of Panama separated the porkfish population into two groups that could no longer interbreed, leading to allopatric speciation.