Male frogs give calls that attract female frogs to approach and mate. Researchers examined mating calls of closely related tree frogs in South America. If reinforcement is occurring, what would you expect if you compare the calls of the two species in zones of sympatry versus zones of allopatry?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If reinforcement is occurring, we would expect mating calls to become more different in areas of sympatry because if the calls were too similar, there would be the risk of hybridization and reduced fitness of hybrid offspring. Therefore, selection would favor individuals with more distinct calls in areas of sympatry where the two species overlap, leading eventually to complete reproductive isolation.

Male Frogs Give Calls That Attract Female Frogs to Approach