Question

In the western united states, pronghorn antelopes and domestic cattle often associate with one another in the same open rangeland. in a hypothetical situation, a certain species of flea originally fed only on pronghorn antelopes. some of these fleas developed a strong preference for cattle blood and mated only with other fleas that also preferred cattle blood. the host mammal can be considered as the fleas' habitat. which of the following processes (both speciation and reproductive isolation) most likely occurred if the situation persisted and a new species evolved? in the western united states, pronghorn antelopes and domestic cattle often associate with one another in the same open rangeland. in a hypothetical situation, a certain species of flea originally fed only on pronghorn antelopes. some of these fleas developed a strong preference for cattle blood and mated only with other fleas that also preferred cattle blood. the host mammal can be considered as the fleas' habitat. which of the following processes (both speciation and reproductive isolation) most likely occurred if the situation persisted and a new species evolved? sympatric speciation and temporal isolation allopatric speciation and habitat isolation sympatric speciation and habitat isolation allopatric speciation and gametic isolation

Answer 1

The scenario of fleas developing a preference for cattle blood and mating with others with the same preference, while still in the same geographic location as antelope-hosting fleas, supports sympatric speciation and habitat isolation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The hypothetical scenario described suggests the process known as sympatric speciation accompanied by habitat isolation. In this case, sympatric speciation refers to the formation of a new species within the same geographical area, unlike allopatric speciation, which involves geographical separation. The fleas began preferring cattle blood over antelope blood without any physical barriers to gene flow. Habitat isolation, a form of reproductive isolation, occurs because the fleas choose to inhabit and reproduce on different host species (the domestic cattle), thus preventing them from breeding with fleas that continue to prefer the blood of pronghorn antelopes—their original hosts. This division of flea populations, if maintained over time, could lead to genetic divergence and eventually the emergence of a new species due to different selective pressures and genetic drift.