In an area only 20 x 5 miles on Hawaii, 26 subspecies of land snail, Achatinella mustelina, have been recognized, each in a different valley separated from the others by mountain ridges. This supports the idea of
A) Allopatric speciation.
B) Sympatric speciation.
C) Balancing selection
D) Stabilizing selection.
E) Inbreeding.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Allopatric speciation occurs when populations are geographically separated, leading to the evolution of new species. The separation of Achatinella mustelina subspecies by mountain ridges in different valleys is a classic example of allopatric speciation, where physical barriers prevent gene flow between populations, allowing them to evolve independently.

In an Area Only 20 X 5 Miles on Hawaii