Four hypothetical families of birds (1) are endemic either to a single large island or to an island group (archipelago) far from the nearest continental land mass, and (2) have either monogamous or promiscuous mating systems in their species. In which of the four would you predict the highest rate of speciation?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The archipelago family whose species are promiscuous is likely to have the highest rate of speciation due to the combination of genetic drift and sexual selection. The isolation of the island group can lead to genetic drift, while promiscuity allows for sexual selection to drive divergence and specialization between populations. Monogamous species may have fewer opportunities for sexual selection to drive divergence, and single-island species may not have as much genetic diversity to work with.

Four Hypothetical Families of Birds (1) Are Endemic Either to a Single