The essential difference between vicariant speciation versus a founder event is that
A)vicariance involves splitting while a founder effect is fusing of two populations.
B)the founder effect is the reverse of vicariant speciation.
C)although a population is split by a vicariant event,the population size and environment does not alter gene frequencies as does a founder event.
D)although a population is split by a founder event,the population size and environment does not alter gene frequencies as does a vicariant event.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The essential difference between vicariant speciation and a founder event is that vicariance involves splitting a population into two or more isolated groups, while a founder event involves a small group of individuals starting a new population in a new geographic location. In vicariant speciation, gene frequencies do not change much because the populations are still in a similar environment and have a similar population size. In contrast, in a founder event, the new population may have different gene frequencies due to the small size of the founding population and the potential for genetic drift. Therefore, Choice C is the correct answer as it correctly describes the difference between the two processes.

The Essential Difference Between Vicariant Speciation Versus a Founder Event