Question

A particular species of fish were split by the formation of the Isthmus of Panama a long time ago. The fish developed changes in their genes to adapt to the new environment and became two different species. What is this process called?

Answer 1

The answer is:

• Allopatric specication

Allopatric speciation occurs when a physical or geographic barrier separates a species and new species form. Geographic barriers may include mountain ranges or bodies of water.

As a result of this separation, the species undergo adaptations to fit the new environment. The newly formed species may not be able to breed with each other, or they may create offspring that are unviable or infertile. The new species that form due to allopatric speciation have a common ancestor.

Answer 2

A particular species of fish were split by the formation of the Isthmus of Panama a long time ago. The fish developed changes in their genes to adapt to the new environment and became two different species. This process is called allopatric speciation, as shown in the image.

Allopatric speciation takes place when a species splits into two separate groups which are isolated from each other. Physical barriers like straits, waterways, cliffs or mountain ranges stop the gene flow between the two groups. This leads to the two groups of species diverging from each other as they start to adapt to the two different environments.