Speciation ________.
A) occurs at such a slow pace that no one has ever observed the emergence of new species
B) occurs only by the accumulation of small genetic changes over vast expanses of time
C) must begin with the geographic isolation of a small, frontier population
D) can involve changes to a single gene

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Speciation can involve changes to a single gene, such as when a mutation results in a reproductive barrier between two populations. However, speciation can also occur through other mechanisms such as geographic isolation or hybridization. While the process of speciation may not always be directly observed, numerous examples of speciation have been documented through retrospectively examining the genetic and morphological differences between different populations of organisms.