Question

A mountain range divides a freshwater snail species into two large isolated populations. Erosion eventually lowers the range and brings the two populations together again, but when they mate, the resulting hybrids all produce sterile young. This scenario is an example of:

Answer 1

allopatric speciation.

Step-by-step explanation:

Reproduction can be defined as a biological process which typically involves living organisms producing an offspring.

Basically, there are two (2) methods of reproduction and these are;

I. Sexual reproduction.

II. Asexual reproduction.

In this scenario, a freshwater snail species is divided into two (2) large isolated populations by a mountain range. This range is then lowered by an erosion and as such bringing the two populations of the freshwater snail species together again.

However, when the two snail species mate, the resulting hybrids all produce sterile young snails. Thus, this scenario is an example of allopatric speciation.

Allopatric speciation is also referred to as geographical speciation and it can be defined as a process in which two (2) biological populations of the same species become isolated from each other by geographical barriers or changes such as mountain range, emigration, etc. Thus, allopatric speciation is dominant with living organisms that reproduces sexually and it causes the isolated species to evolve newly with distinctive traits.