There is an island in the middle of a large river that houses a large population of ants. Damming of the river causes the island to flood and only the highest points of the island are now above water. The ants cannot swim, so are now in multiple isolated populations. Which of the following best describes this event?
A) This situation represents isolation by dispersal.
B) This situation represents isolation by vicariance.
C) This situation represents a form of sympatric speciation.
D) Only a rare development of polyploidy could lead to speciation in this case.
E) Speciation will not occur in this case because of gene flow.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This situation is an example of isolation by vicariance, where a population is divided into separate groups due to a change in the geographic landscape, in this case, the flooding of the island.

There Is an Island in the Middle of a Large