Question

Heavy rains and mudslides cause a river to change course, isolating two groups of lizards from one another. If they remain isolated for a long period of time, ________.

Answer 1

When heavy rains and mudslides cause a river to change course, it can isolate two groups of lizards from one another, leading to allopatric speciation. The isolated populations evolve separately and may develop different adaptations.

Step-by-step explanation:

When heavy rains and mudslides cause a river to change course, it can isolate two groups of lizards from one another. If they remain isolated for a long period of time, this can lead to the process of allopatric speciation, where the two groups of lizards evolve separately and eventually become two different species. This occurs because the isolated populations experience different environmental pressures and genetic changes over time.

For example, in the scenario of the lizards being isolated by a river, let's say one group of lizards is exposed to a new predator while the other group is not. The group facing the predator may evolve adaptations like camouflaged coloration, sharp spines, or toxins to defend themselves. These adaptations would be absent in the other group of lizards, as they did not have to deal with the same predator.

Answer 2

If they remain isolated for a long period of time, the two groups will probably diverge genetically, and may result in speciation.

Genetic divergence is the process whereby two groups of the same ancestral species acquire autonomous genetic changes through time, usually after the groups have been separated reproductively for some period of time.

Speciation is an evolutionary process whereby populations develop to become different species.