Using your knowledge of natural selection and speciation, suggest how new species can evolve from the same common ancestor.

Speciation requires reproductive isolation. This is where the members of different populations are unable to interbreed to produce fertile offspring.Reproductive isolation could have been caused by a physical barrier such as a river which would have geographically prevented interbreedingDifferent mutations could have created different features in the two populations.Natural selection could have caused advantageous features to spread through the populations over timeConditions of the different geographical environments could have been different at the time, so the features that were beneficial may have been different for each population.Eventually, individuals of the different populations have evolved so much that they developed such different features which meant that they could no longer interbreed to produce fertile offsprings.

Answered by Biology tutor

2782 Views

See similar Biology GCSE tutors

Related Biology GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Describe how information passes across a synapse


what is the difference between aerobic respiration and aerobic respiration


Cite examples of biotic and abiotic factors that influence living organisms in an ecosystems.


What is active transport the movement of and what does it need to occur? Give some examples of where is might occur in the human body.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning