Quantifying Snake Diversification via Allopatric Speciation
The question highlights that the primary mode of *speciation* for snakes in the Western Ghats is *allopatric*. This means diversification occurs mainly due to geographical isolation.
The goal is to find the most *cost and time efficient* method to *quantify diversification*. Since *allopatric speciation* relies on geographical *barriers*, sampling should focus on these barriers.
- Option B: Across barriers such as valleys and rivers is the most efficient strategy. Sampling across natural geographical *barriers* (like valleys and rivers) directly targets populations that are likely isolated, which is the basis of *allopatric speciation*. This allows for a focused comparison of potentially diverging populations.
- Option A (Elevational gradient): While elevation can create isolation, it might not represent the *predominant* barriers causing divergence in this specific case.
- Option C (Intensive random locations): This approach is unlikely to capture the effects of specific geographical barriers driving *allopatric speciation* and might miss key diversification patterns.
- Option D (Intensively across the entire range): This is the least efficient method, requiring extensive resources without specifically targeting the mechanism of *allopatric speciation*.
Therefore, sampling across significant geographical barriers is the most effective and efficient way to quantify diversification driven by *allopatric speciation* in the Western Ghats snakes.
Important Questions from Biodiversity
- Which one of the following is an example of a cell type found only in a single phylum?
- The table below lists different insects and taxonomic orders. Choose the option that matches the animal to its correct taxonomic order.
Animal Taxonomic order P) Moths i) Hemiptera Q) True bugs ii) Orthoptera R) Crickets iii) Coleoptera S) Beetles iv) Lepidoptera v) Diptera - In which of the following plants is the dominant stage of the life cycle haploid?
- A scientist finds a new species of insect and sends a sample to a museum for confirmation. The curator of the museum designates it as a holotype for the newly identified species and asks the scientist to also provide samples of the opposite sex. This sample of the opposite sex is called the
- Match the combination of flora and fauna from the list, to the state where they are found.
Combination Fauna; Flora P Red panda; Rhododendron Q Pygmy hog; Elephant grass R Tiger; Mangrove S Hangul; Chinar
