[Campbell Biology P.570] The "WHAT IF?" section asks to evaluate the alternative explanation... | Practice Question

The "WHAT IF?" section asks to evaluate the alternative explanation that increased fertility in the experimental hybrids resulted from natural selection for thriving under laboratory conditions. If this alternative explanation were correct, what would be the primary implication for the generalizability of the experiment's findings about speciation?

  • A: It would strengthen the conclusion that speciation in Helianthus anomalus is a rapid process, as laboratory conditions simply accelerate natural selection.
  • B: It would suggest that the observed rapid speciation might be an artifact of the laboratory environment and not necessarily representative of how speciation occurs in natural populations.
  • C: It would imply that the initial 5% fertility of F1 hybrids was due to their poor adaptation to laboratory conditions rather than genetic incompatibility.
  • D: It would confirm that reproductive isolation is the main factor preventing hybridization in natural environments, irrespective of laboratory conditions.

Explanation

The "WHAT IF?" question asks to evaluate an alternative explanation that the increased fertility was due to selection for thriving in the lab. If true, this would mean the experimental results are an artifact of the artificial lab environment and not necessarily a reflection of how speciation occurs in natural populations, thus limiting the generalizability of the conclusion to the wild.