Diane Dodd's experiments using fruit flies demonstrated that
A) the evolution of reproductive barriers occurs much too slowly to produce measurable effects in the laboratory.
B) new species can form in a single generation by the production of new reproductive structures.
C) formation of a reproductive barrier between two populations is more likely if they experience and adapt to different environmental conditions.
D) reproductive barriers usually are absolute: Either two populations are fully willing and able to interbreed, or they are strictly separated by a fully effective reproductive barrier.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Diane Dodd's experiments using fruit flies showed that the formation of reproductive barriers between populations is more likely if they adapt to different environmental conditions. Dodd observed that populations of fruit flies that were raised on a different substrate (a type of food source) developed mating preferences for individuals from their own population and were less likely to mate with individuals from the other population, even when they were placed together in the same container. This suggests that environmental differences can lead to the evolution of reproductive isolation between populations, which is consistent with the idea that the development of new species can be driven by ecological factors. Dodd's experiments did not demonstrate that new species can form in a single generation, nor did they suggest that reproductive barriers are absolute.

Diane Dodd's Experiments Using Fruit Flies Demonstrated That