In some zoos, rare crosses between a male lion and a female tiger have produced hybrid offspring called "ligers." Male ligers ar
e sterile but some female ligers are fertile. In the wild, lion and tiger ranges do not naturally overlap, making such a cross unlikely. Furthermore, the solitary behavior of tigers and the social organizations of lions create behavioral differences. The natural differences in the ranges of wild tigers and lions is an example of ________. Read the following scenario to answer the following question. In some zoos, rare crosses between a male lion and a female tiger have produced hybrid offspring called "ligers." Male ligers are sterile but some female ligers are fertile. In the wild, lion and tiger ranges do not naturally overlap, making such a cross unlikely. Furthermore, the solitary behavior of tigers and the social organizations of lions create behavioral differences. The natural differences in the ranges of wild tigers and lions is an example of ________. a prezygotic barrier sympatric speciation a postzygotic barrier the impact of mutations
Both wild tigers and lions are said to be reproductively isolated.
Reproductive isolation is defined as the existence of barrier between organisms of different species such that they cannot reproduce.
The mechanisms of reproductive isolation varies. While some act to prevent the formation of zygotes (in case of mating) between organisms of different species, some ensures that the resulting zygotes are invalid.
Reproductive isolation mechanisms that act to prevent fertilization and formation of zygotes are referred to as prezygotic mechanisms while those that ensure that invalid zygotes result (in case of successful fertilization) are referred to post zygotic mechanisms.
<em>The natural differences in the ranges of wild tigers and lions ensure that both animals do not mate with each other, let alone results in zygote. This is a form of pre-zygotic reproductive isolation mechanism.</em>
