Speciation

Question 1

What is speciation?

Answer 1

the formation of new species through the process of evolution

Question 2

Wha is a new species?

Answer 2

• one that is no longer able to interbreed to produce fertile offspring with organisms belonging to the original species

Question 3

How does isolation lead to speciation?

Answer 3

• members of a population become isolated and no longer interbreed with the rest of the population
• resulting in no gene flow between the two groups

Question 4

How do random mutations lead to speciation?

Answer 4

• alleles within the groups contine to undergo random mutation
• the environment of each group may de differ or change
  
  • resulting in different selection pressures
• so different characteristics will be selected for and against
• the acuumulation of mutations and changes in allele frequencies over many generation eventually lead to large changes in phenoty
• the members of the different populations become so different that they are no longer able to interbreed to produce fertile offspring
  
  • they are now reproductively isolated and are a different species