A virgin pine forest covers a valley,and one of the inhabitants is a red squirrel species.A large volcanic eruption occurs and separates the valley with a huge lava flow,thus producing two populations of squirrels.What must occur for the two populations of squirrels to be considered separate species?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

For two populations to be considered separate species, they must be reproductively isolated from each other, meaning they cannot interbreed to produce viable offspring. This can happen through several mechanisms, such as geographic isolation (where the two populations are physically separated by a barrier like a lava flow), behavioral isolation (where the two populations have different mating behaviors), or genetic isolation (where the two populations have diverged genetically to the point where they cannot produce viable offspring). Of the given choices, only E addresses this requirement for speciation.

A Virgin Pine Forest Covers a Valley,and One of the Inhabitants