Figure 25.3
-Soon after the island of Hawaii rose above the sea surface (somewhat less than 1 million years ago), the evolution of life on this new island should have been most strongly influenced by

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The founder effect occurs when a small group of individuals become geographically isolated from the main population, resulting in a new gene pool that is likely to differ from the original population. In the case of the island of Hawaii, the new population of organisms that colonized the island would have been subject to the founder effect due to the isolation from the mainland. This would have had a strong influence on the evolutionary trajectory of the island's biota. While genetic bottleneck, sexual selection, and habitat differentiation may have also played a role, the founder effect is the most likely primary influence.

Figure 25.3 -Soon After the Island of Hawaii Rose Above the Sea