Question

How can geographic isolation change a population’s gene pool?

Answer 1

Geographical isolation is a term that refers to a group of animals, plants or other entities isolated from the sharing of genetic material with other organisms of the same species. Geographic separation is usually the result of an event or coincidence.

Complete answer:
In geographic isolation, a part of a community is divided by geography and can no longer be identified with the other part. When a population is divided by geographical features, such as distance, canyon, river or mountain range, the two subgroups of the population are no longer able to reproduce together. Since the two groups are in their own unique ecosystems and each has unique pressures, they will adapt over time to their environment and can eventually become very different from each other. This is the end result of speciation.

The gene pool is the total sum of all genes and gene combinations that occur in a population of organisms of the same species. This could be any population-frogs in a pond, trees in a forest, or people in an area. The geographical isolation of organisms happens as geographical boundaries serve as a demarcating agent. It essentially isolates the reproduction of individuals of the population associated with that species. The two populations become more genetically distinguished over time and could become two separate species with independent geographical ranges.

Note: A species is defined by biologists as populations that can interbreed and generate fertile offspring. Speciation is called one species becoming two separate species. Isolating mechanisms are forms of isolation that can contribute to the creation of new organisms. Behavioural and geographic isolation are a few examples.