Final answer:
Hybrid reproduction can cause two species to continue divergence through reinforcement when hybrid offspring are less adaptable than the parent species. This reduced fitness of hybrids often leads to reduced reproduction over time and the formation of reproductive barriers, each promoting further divergence.
Step-by-step explanation:
In a situation where hybrid reproduction causes two species to continue divergence, the crucial factor is the adaptability of the hybrid offspring. If the hybrid offspring are less adaptable than the parent species (a), this can lead to a scenario of reinforcement. Reinforcement occurs when the low success of the hybrids pushes the two species further apart, affirming the initial speciation process. Conversely, if hybrids are more adaptable (b), this could lead to a blending of the species. However, if hybrids compete with parent species and find niches distinct from them, this competition will enhance divergence (a).Hybrid offspring that are less fit than their parent species tend to result in diminished hybrid reproduction over time, propelling the two species to diverge further. This is because the lack of success among the hybrids strengthens the separation instigated by speciation.
Reproductive barriers may also develop as a result of continuous hybrid production, leading closely related species to remain distinct (b). This is another form of reinforcement where the species adapt to avoid the production of less successful hybrid offspring.Hybrids can be either less fit than the parents, more fit, or about the same. Usually hybrids tend to be less fit; therefore, such reproduction diminishes over time, nudging the two species to diverge further in a process called reinforcement. This term is used because the low success of the hybrids reinforces the original speciation. If the hybrids are as fit or more fit than the parents, the two species may fuse back into one species. Scientists have also observed that sometimes two species will remain separate but also continue to interact to produce some hybrid individuals; this is classified as stability because no real net change is taking place.