Seven Salamanders Seven populations of salamanders in the genus Ensatina , occur

Question

Seven Salamanders

Seven populations of salamanders in the genus Ensatina, occur throughout the western edge of the United States (see figure below). For years, these populations were considered separate species, because they look different from each other. However, a biologists studying these populations discovered that most of these population interbreed to produce viable and fertile hybrids. The only two populations that cannot interbreed are the ones at the southern edge of the range, referred to as Ensantinaklauberi and Ensatina eschscholtzii.

Figure 1. Populations of salamanders with distinct color patterns can interbreed, except where they come into contact at the southern portion of the range.

Use this information to answer the following questions.

True/False:

12. Ensantina klauberi and Ensatina eschscholtzii could be considered different morphological species.

13 Ensantina klauberi and Ensatina eschscholtzii should be considered different biological species.

14 The genes of Ensatina eschscholtzii should be more similar to the genes of Ensatina xanthoptica than they are to the genes of Ensantina klauberi.

15 If biologists consider Ensantina klauberi and Ensatina eschscholtzii to be different species, they would likely argue that postzygotic isolating mechanisms had reinforced speciation. True

16 If the population of Ensantina klauberi and the population of Ensatina eschscholtzii remain in contact, natural selection would likely favor a prezygotic isolating mechanism.

Explanation / Answer

12. Ensantina klauberi and Ensatina eschscholtzii could be considered different morphological species.

Ans. True.

morphological species concept states that “a species is a community, or a number of related communities, whose distinctive morphological characters are, in the opinion of a competent systematist, sufficiently definite to entitle it, or them, to a specific name”.

as, the two species mentioned above have distinct color patterns and look different from each other they could be considered different morphological species.

13. Ensantina klauberi and Ensatina eschscholtzii should be considered different biological species.

Ans. True

according to biological species concept species are “groups of actually or potentially interbreeding natural populations which are reproductively isolated from other such groups”.

Ensantina klauberi and Ensatina eschscholtzii should be considered different biological species as they are reproductively isolated i..e.,the two populations do not interbreed.

14. The genes of Ensatina eschscholtzii should be more similar to the genes of Ensatina xanthoptica than they are to the genes of Ensantina klauberi.

Ans. True

The genes of Ensatina eschscholtzii should be more similar to the genes of Ensatina xanthoptica than they are to the genes of Ensantina klauberi because Ensatina eschscholtzii and Ensatina xanthoptica can interbreed and produce fertile hybrids.

15. If biologists consider Ensantina klauberi and Ensatina eschscholtzii to be different species, they would likely argue that postzygotic isolating mechanisms had reinforced speciation.

Ans. True

16. If the population of Ensantina klauberi and the population of Ensatina eschscholtzii remain in contact, natural selection would likely favor a prezygotic isolating mechanism.

Ans. True

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