Question

In a hypothetical situation, a certain species of flea feeds only on pronghorn antelopes. In thewestern United States, pronghorns and cattle often associate with one another in the same openrangeland. Some of these fleas develop a strong preference for cattle blood and mate only withother fleas that prefer cattle blood. The host mammal can be considered as the fleasʹhabitat. If thissituation persists, and new species evolve, this would be an example of _____.A) allopatric speciation and gametic isolationB) sympatric speciation and temporal isolationC) allopatric speciation and habitat isolationD) sympatric speciation and habitat isolation

Answer 1

Answer:

D) sympatric speciation and habitat isolation

Explanation:

Sympatric isolation is a form of evolutionary process whereby different species from an ancestral origin evolve within the same geographical environment as a result of reproductive isolation.

Habitat isolation is a form of reproductive isolation which occurs when two populations of a species inhabiting overlapping habitats become unable to interbreed with each other.  

Reproductive isolation (habitat isolation) that occurs in the fleas is as a result of the new species becoming separate from it's ancestral species which feed only on pronghorn antelopes, although both species can still be found in the same geographical location (rangeland). The new species now have preference for cattle blood, and so are now found on cattle.

In the situation of the two new species of flea that would evolve, it can be said to an example of sympatric speciation and habitat isolation, since the host mammal is assumed to be their habitat and both the cattle and pronghorns often associate with one another in the same open rangeland.