A species of lizard was found in a tropical forest. After a large volcanic eruption, much of the forest was destroyed, leaving only small patches of forest widely separated by volcanic rock. Each new forest section has conditions that are different from the original forest. Which of the following will most likely happen to the lizards?

Question

A species of lizard was found in a tropical forest. After a large volcanic eruption, much of the forest was destroyed, leaving only small patches of forest widely separated by volcanic rock. Each new forest section has conditions that are different from the original forest. Which of the following will most likely happen to the lizards?

A All the lizards will migrate to one common area.
B The different populations of lizards will remain unchanged.
C The lizards will survive and gradually develop into a new species.
D All of the lizards will become extinct.

Answer 1

C The lizards will survive and gradually develop into a new species. (This is because the different forest sections have different conditions, which will likely result in natural selection favoring different traits in different populations of lizards. Over time, these differences may accumulate and lead to the formation of new species.)