A storm blows a small group of migrating birds off course and they land on an island too far from the mainland for them to fly back on course. The birds remain on the island for 100 generations when a second storm blows more birds from the mainland to the island. The new birds cannot mate with the established birds, even though they are originally from the same population. What has occurred to bring about this specialtion?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Geographical isolation resulting in reproductive isolation is the correct answer. The initial group of birds was separated from their mainland population, leading to genetic divergence over time due to isolation. This eventually resulted in reproductive isolation, where the two groups could no longer interbreed, signifying speciation.

A Storm Blows a Small Group of Migrating Birds Off