Practice question · Put in order
Arrange the stages of allopatric speciation in order.
- A geographic barrier divides the range in two
- The two populations no longer interbreed even if contact resumes
- Reproductive isolation becomes established
- A single interbreeding population occupies a continuous range
- The separated populations diverge under drift and different selection
Hints
- The barrier must come before divergence can begin.
- Isolation is a consequence of divergence, not its cause.
Show the answer
- A single interbreeding population occupies a continuous range
- A geographic barrier divides the range in two
- The separated populations diverge under drift and different selection
- Reproductive isolation becomes established
- The two populations no longer interbreed even if contact resumes
Why
Separation stops gene flow, divergence accumulates independently, and reproductive isolation emerges as a by-product rather than a goal. The final test is whether renewed contact produces interbreeding, if it does not, speciation is complete.
Practise Speciation and the Origin of Diversity
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