A population of chimpanzees was separated when the forest they had lived in had a section cut down and a town was built. After a long period of time, the chimpanzees came back into contact but were incapable of breeding. Which of the following best describes the process that occurred?

EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION

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Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]

A	speciation
B	adaptation
C	gradualism
D	punctuated equilibrium

Explanation:

Detailed explanation-1: -The exposed example is a case of speciation, in which the chimpanzees’ habitat was fragmented and a town was built. The town acts as the barrier between the two diverged groups, impeding them to meet.

Detailed explanation-2: -In sympatric speciation, groups from the same ancestral population evolve into separate species without any geographical separation.

Detailed explanation-3: -Allopatric speciation (1) occurs when a species separates into two separate groups which are isolated from one another. A physical barrier, such as a mountain range or a waterway, makes it impossible for them to breed with one another.

Detailed explanation-4: -Diversifying (or disruptive) selection: Diversifying selection occurs when extreme values for a trait are favored over the intermediate values. This type of selection often drives speciation. Diversifying selection can also occur when environmental changes favor individuals on either end of the phenotypic spectrum.

Detailed explanation-5: -Speciation is an evolutionary process by which a new species comes into being. A species is a group of organisms that can reproduce with one another to produce fertile offspring and is reproductively isolated from other organisms.

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