Question

In the oceans on either side of the Isthmus of Panama are 30 species of snapping shrimp, 15 species on the Pacific side and 15 different species on the Atlantic side. Species live at different water depths. Morphological and genetic data show that Atlantic and Pacific species that live at similar depths are sister species. The sister species on each side of the isthmus cannot interbreed because the water in the canal is fresh water, not salt water, and provides a barrier to reproduction. A sea-level, salt-water canal between the two oceans has been proposed to make transport across the isthmus easier. Which of the following outcomes is the most likely result if such a canal were built?

A. greater percentage of difference in DNA sequences between sister species that inhabit deep water than between sister species that inhabt stalow water
B. greater percentage of difference in DNA sequences between sister species that inhabit shallow water than between sister species that inhabit deep water
C. similar percentages of difference in DNA sequences between all pairs of sister species
D. greater percentage of difference in DNA sequences between Atlantic species than between Pacific species

Answer 1

The options of this question are wrong, you can find the correct options by navigating on the web. The options of this question are as follow:

1) The sister species will continue to diverge from each other.

2) None of the sister species will interbreed with each other.

3) The Atlantic and Pacific shrimp will continue to live in their respective oceans and not enter the new canal.

4) Shallow-water species from the two oceans that are sister species would be more likely to interbreed with each other than would be deep-water species.

Answer:

4) Shallow-water species from the two oceans that are sister species would be more likely to interbreed with each other than would be deep-water species

Step-by-step explanation:

In evolutionary biology, sister species are defined as descendant species formed when one species splits during the course of evolution. Moreover, adaptation refers to the evolutionary process of adjustment of organisms to the environment, which is usually due to natural selection. During the course of evolution, organisms under different environments must change to adapt to their environments. In this case, it is expected that sister species that live in similar environmental conditions (i.e., shallow-water species) exhibit fewer phenotypic differences, being therefore more likely to interbreed with each other.