Question

An earthquake creates a new canyon in a mountain area. this canyon separates two populations of mountain turtles to the east and the west of the new canyon. to the west of the new canyon, there are large groves of berry bushes. east of the canyon, there are no berry bushes and only a few plants. however, there is a large river with lots of insects and minnows. based on this scenario, what is likely to happen to the two populations of mountain turtles?

Answer 1

The formation of the canyon provides a physical barrier that me lead to speciation between the two populations if interbreeding is prevented. The population to the west of the canyon will probably adapt to feeding on the berries on land, and might therefore evolve traits for a terrestrial, vegetarian existence. The turtles to the east of the canyon will evolve to take advantage of the river environment, and aquatic characteristics will be further emphasised.