Why is speciation by polyploidy more likely in plants than in animals?
A) Plant gametes can be produced by meiosis from somatic cells that have undergone many rounds of mitosis.
B) Plant gametes lack postzygotic isolating mechanisms.
C) Plants are sessile and, therefore, are never prezygotically isolated to ensure reproduction.
D) Plants are sessile and cannot speciate via dispersal.
E) Plants lack the DNA repair enzymes that animals have.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Polyploidy in plants can occur through the fusion of unreduced gametes, which are produced from diploid cells that have undergone meiosis without chromosome separation. This process is more likely in plants because they have the ability to produce gametes from somatic cells that have undergone many rounds of mitosis. In contrast, animals cannot produce gametes from somatic cells, making polyploidy less likely to occur.

Answer: B
 Polyploidy can lead to reproductive isolation in plants because polyploid individuals may be unable to produce viable offspring with their diploid counterparts, leading to postzygotic reproductive isolation. In contrast, animals have stronger prezygotic isolating mechanisms, which reduce the likelihood of polyploid individuals having viable offspring.

Answer: D
 Plants are sessile and cannot move to new environments to avoid interbreeding with other populations, making polyploidy a more viable option for speciation. In contrast, animals have the ability to disperse and migrate to new environments, which can reduce the likelihood of polyploidy leading to speciation.

Why Is Speciation by Polyploidy More Likely in Plants Than