Studies of snapping shrimp on either side of the Isthmus of Panama have shown that each Caribbean shrimp species is more closely related to a Pacific shrimp species than it is to any other Caribbean shrimp species.The most likely explanation for this result is
A)snapping shrimp in the Caribbean and the Pacific were never part of the same population.
B)snapping shrimp species in each ocean diverged prior to the formation of the Isthmus of Panama.
C)snapping shrimp species in each ocean diverged after the formation of the Isthmus of Panama.
D)creation of the Panama Canal allowed interbreeding between populations of shrimp.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fact that each Caribbean shrimp species is more closely related to a Pacific shrimp species than it is to any other Caribbean shrimp species suggests that snapping shrimp species in each ocean diverged prior to the formation of the Isthmus of Panama. If they had diverged after the formation of the Isthmus, we would expect each Caribbean shrimp species to be more closely related to other Caribbean shrimp species than to any Pacific shrimp species. The other options are unlikely explanations for this result.

Studies of Snapping Shrimp on Either Side of the Isthmus