23. Speciation

Within the Northeast Pacific, two types of killer whales (Orcinus orca) are found. Resident killer whales feed mostly on salmon, while the transient population feeds mostly on marine mammals. While these populations spend a lot of time in the same waters, they do not interbreed, likely because they use different systems of calls to communicate. Some scientists believe that these two populations of orca are undergoing speciation. What type of speciation is occurring, and what type of reproductive barrier do you suspect is reinforcing the speciation?

The organisms of the Galapagos islands have become famous for people studying their processes of speciation. Which statement best describes how speciation most likely occurs on islands like the Galapagos?

True or False: if false, choose the answer that best corrects the statement.

The difference between allopatric and sympatric speciation is how long it takes for populations to split into separate species.

Strong disruptive selection doesn’t always create new species. What other requirement must be met for speciation to occur?