Question

page 17 of 50
question 17 (mandatory) (2 points)
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the caribbean islands are home to more than 150 species of anole lizards. how might so many species have evolved from a single common ancestor?
the species on an island went through allopatric speciation.
an adaptive radiation occurred to fill unoccupied niches on the islands.
lizards evolve more rapidly than other species.
the ancestor had a prezygotic barrier to reproduction.
mutation is more common on islands.
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page 17 of 50

Explanation:

Adaptive radiation is the process where a single ancestral species rapidly diversifies into many new species to fill unoccupied ecological niches, which matches the scenario of numerous anole lizard species evolving from one common ancestor in the Caribbean Islands. Allopatric speciation alone does not fully explain the high number of species here; the other options are incorrect as there is no evidence lizards evolve faster, the ancestor would not have prezygotic barriers to its own reproduction, and mutation rates are not inherently higher on islands.

Answer:

An adaptive radiation occurred to fill unoccupied niches on the islands.