Question

“In Cricket species, the sound produced by rubbing the wings or legs together plays a crucial role in attracting mates; any change in the morphology of Cricket legs could potentially affect their ability to produce sound.”

A mutant Cricket had thicker hind legs. What would you expect for this cricket species?

पर्याय

• The leg mutation will not lead to speciation if they diversify into new habitats.

• The leg mutation will have little effect on other external features and therefore have little effect on speciation.

• The leg mutation will have no effect on behavior and thus have little effect on speciation.

• The leg mutation might lead to reproductive isolation and speciation due to an effect on the mating call.

Answer 1

The leg mutation might lead to reproductive isolation and speciation due to an effect on the mating call.

Explanation:

The leg mutation is likely to affect the sound production mechanism (stirp and file), altering the specific mating call, which is crucial for attracting female crickets. This change could lead to reproductive isolation, as females may not recognise the altered call, thus potentially leading to the formation of a new species (speciation) due to this behavioural and morphological change.