Final answer:
Peripatric speciation best describes the phenomenon where reduced genetic diversity occurs due to a small number of species populating a new area, as it involves a fringe population becoming genetically distinct from its parent population.Option C is the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term that best describes reduced genetic diversity due to a small number of species populating a new area is C. peripatric speciation. Peripatric speciation is a mode of speciation in which a small population becomes isolated at the periphery of a larger, central population.
Over time, due to this isolation and various evolutionary factors, such as genetic drift and natural selection, the peripheral population may evolve into a distinct species with reduced genetic diversity compared to its parental population.
This kind of speciation is related to allopatric speciation but involves the segregation and evolution of a small group with effectuated changes quickly due to the small population size. It contrasts with sympatric speciation, which involves speciation occurring within the same geographical area, often through mechanisms like polyploidy, or adaptive radiation, where a single species gives rise to many new species adapting to different ecological niches.