The apple maggot's natural host plant is the hawthorne; however, over the past 150 years, new populations were found that feed on apples and cherries. This is an example of ____ speciation via the development of ____.
A) sympatric; allopolyploidy
B) allopatric; host races
C) sympatric; host races
D) allopatric; autopolyploidy
E) sympatric; autopolyploidy

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sympatric speciation occurs when new species evolve from a single ancestral species while inhabiting the same geographic region. The development of host races, where different populations specialize in feeding on different plants (like apples and cherries instead of the original hawthorne), is an example of sympatric speciation. This is because the apple maggot populations are adapting to different environments (different host plants) without geographical separation.

The Apple Maggot's Natural Host Plant Is the Hawthorne; However