Question

Consider a species of field mouse that lives in a region divided by a large, impassable river. One population of mice lives on one side of the river, and a second population of mice lives on the other side of the river. A classmate argues that both populations will likely evolve along the same lines. Evaluate your classmate’s position in terms of gene flow and natural selection.

Answer 1

Answer:

The mice population do not involve in the same line.

Explanation:

The gene flow refers to the transfer of the gene from one population to another population and natural selection is the mechanism in which the survival rate and reproduction of the population are decided by the nature following the rule of the survival of the fittest.

In the given question, the mice population got separated due to the river which acted as a barrier between the mice population. The presence of this barrier reduces the chances of the gene flow between them as it is impossible for the mice population to cross the river.

As a result of this, the mice population will start surviving in different regions on both the sides of the river where it is not necessary that the same environmental pressure will act on the population of the mice.

Thus, the mice population do not evolve in the same line.