Identical Population-Splitting Events Occurred Simultaneously on Two Neighboring Islands, Islands

question 92

Essay

Identical population-splitting events occurred simultaneously on two neighboring islands, Islands B and C, which are each initially home to different populations of rodent. The population-splitting event produced two subpopulations of rodent on each island: B1 and B2, and C1 and C2. We find that populations B1 and B2 cannot successfully interbreed with each other after 50,000 years, and that C1 and C2 can still interbreed after 100,000 years. Why does reproductive isolation arrive at different rates on these two islands?

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Definitions:

Fixed Interval

A schedule of reinforcement where the first response is rewarded only after a specified amount of time has passed, used in behavioral psychology.

Fixed Ratio

A schedule of reinforcement where a response is reinforced only after a specified number of responses, often used in learning and conditioning processes.

Creative Intelligence

The ability to produce new products, ideas, or innovative solutions to problems.

Divergent Thinking

A mode of thinking that encourages creative exploration of many possible solutions to a problem.