Question

Question 3: Construction of a major highway in Banff National Park divided a once continuous stretch of forest that was home to a large deer population. The highway split the deer population into two separate smaller populations, as the deer could not safely cross the highway. Over many generations, these two now isolated populations have begun to evolve independently. On one side of the highway, deer are lighter in color and mate late in the year. On the other side of the highway, the deer are darker in color and mate two months earlier than the other population. Recently, a wildlife crossing (see below) was established to allow deer and other wildlife to safely cross over the highway. Explain the possible outcomes now that these two populations have increased contact with one another.

Answer 1

Answer: Your welcome!

Step-by-step explanation:

Now that the two deer populations have contact with one another, they may interbreed and their gene pools may merge. This could result in the two populations becoming one, with the offspring taking on characteristics of both populations. For example, the offspring may be a mix of light and dark coloration and mate at a time in between the two original populations. This could significantly reduce the genetic diversity of the population and make it less resilient to environmental changes. Alternatively, the two populations may remain distinct due to differences in mate selection or other behavior, and the gene pools may remain separate. This could result in the offspring having characteristics from both parents, forming a hybrid population. This would increase the genetic diversity of the population and could provide a greater range of traits for the deer population to draw from.