Final answer:
Pre-zygotic barriers are mechanisms that prevent reproduction from taking place before mating. They include ecological isolation, temporal isolation, mechanical isolation, and behavioral isolation. These barriers serve to maintain reproductive isolation between species and prevent gene flow.
Step-by-step explanation:
Pre-zygotic barriers are mechanisms that prevent reproduction from taking place before mating. They include:
- Ecological isolation: Occurs when two species occupy different habitats, preventing them from encountering each other.
- Temporal isolation: Differences in breeding schedules that can act as a form of reproductive isolation.
- Mechanical isolation: When closely related organisms try to mate, but their reproductive structures do not fit together.
- Behavioral isolation: Differences in courtship rituals and behaviors that prevent mating.
These barriers serve to maintain reproductive isolation between species and prevent gene flow.