Examples Of Geographic Isolation

Geographic isolation is a form and one of the components that lead to reproductive isolation that refers to a population of animals, plants, or other organisms that are separated from combining genes with other organisms of the same species. This kind of isolation can have resulted from either a coincidence or an accident. The main components of geographical isolation are isolation by distance, isolation by separation, isolation by barriers, and isolation by an event.
One of the main examples of geographic isolation is isolation by distance. An example of this is a group of genetically different chimpanzees cannot mate with other chimpanzees outside their group because of physical isolation which can result in diseases that genetics from the other chimpanzees would have avoided. Another example is that genetically different dolphins like bottlenose can be apart from their own which unfortunately goes extinct
Another main example of geographic isolation is isolation by separation. A sub example of this is an isolated group of beetles on a plateau are only able to work, mate, and mate with those on a plateau. Therefore, only genetic material within that isolated group is exchanged resulted in a less genetically varied beetle population than others that mate with other organisms of the …show more content…
A sub example of this is an earthquake. An earthquake can cause two populations to become separate from each other. After a certain period of time, each species only goes through genetic makeup to their less diverse populations. When an area breaks off of another area the animals in that one area are only able to reproduce with their own population in that area. Therefore, this results in that species becoming entirely separate after a period of time. Another sub example of this is a forest fire. A forest fire can permanently isolate a group of species from their natives causing them to interbreed with each