Speciation often occurs when a habitat becomes more heterogeneous. In Lake Victoria different species of cichlids are found in different areas of the lake. The best explanation for this speciation is that
A) natural selection favored different heritable variations in different parts of the lake.
B) male cichlids that lived in deep water needed to be seen by females, so they became colorful.
C) food was scarce in the lake, so some fish had to learn how to scrape algae, some had to learn to eat insects, and some had to learn to bite leaves.
D) humans selected for many different traits in cichlids in order to market them to the aquarium trade.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fact that different species of cichlids are found in different areas of Lake Victoria suggests that natural selection favored different heritable variations in different parts of the lake, leading to the evolution of distinct species over time. The heterogeneous habitat likely presented different environmental pressures that favored different adaptations, driving the divergence of the cichlid populations into separate species.

Speciation Often Occurs When a Habitat Becomes More Heterogeneous