When the most recent glacial period ended, ice sheets that had covered most of Canada retreated, and landscapes were opened up for plants and animals to colonize.In British Columbia, rivers and lakes were colonized by small fish called three-spined sticklebacks about 15,000 years ago.They swam upstream and became relatively isolated populations, each in their own small lake, separated by streams from other lakes.In each of at least six lakes in which they have been studied, there are species pairs; one species swimming close under the surface, snatching insects, the other swimming near the bottom, eating small crustaceans in the mud.This appears to be an example in which _______ may have led to rapid speciation.
A) polyploidy
B) sexual selection
C) dietary specialization
D) dispersal ability
E) pollination type

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The differentiation of the two stickleback species in each lake is due to their different diets, which suggests dietary specialization may have led to their rapid speciation. Polyploidy, sexual selection, dispersal ability, and pollination type are not relevant factors in the differentiation of these stickleback species.

When the Most Recent Glacial Period Ended, Ice Sheets That