Question

Explain why scientists believe the Abert’s and Kaibab squirrels are examples of speciation.

Answer 1

Answer and explanation;

-The Kaibab Squirrel gives us one nice example of evolution occurring due to geographic isolation.

-About 10,000 years ago when the last ice age ended, physical formations in the canyon changed in a way that blocked the squirrels access to the Colorado River. The canyon became a geographic barrier separating the forests and squirrels on each rim. One population of squirrels had become two separate populations that could no longer interbreed, the kaibab squirrels. Abert’s squirrels are a North American species, found across a range of locations. Kaibab squirrels are a subspecies of Abert’s squirrels, found only in one area in the United States.

-Both the Kaibab squirrel and the Abert’s squirrel live in the ponderosa pine forests, where they build their nests out of twigs and pine needles. They eat acorns, fruit, and fungi, as well as the seeds, bark, and twigs of the trees where they make their home. The Kaibab squirrel's most significant source of food is the seeds found within ponderosa pine cones.

Answer 2

They believe they are examples of speciation due to only being found in those areas or around the area. Likely due to separation because of plateau erosion possibly cutting them off from forests.