How can climate change influence speciation?

Climate change can significantly influence speciation primarily by creating new selective pressures on species. As environmental conditions change, such as temperature increases, altered precipitation patterns, and shifts in available food sources, the organisms within affected ecosystems must adapt to survive. These new conditions can lead to variations in traits that affect survival and reproduction.

For example, if certain plant species migrate northward due to warming temperatures, the herbivores that depend on them may also need to move to find food. This could create scenarios where different populations of the same species are exposed to different environmental challenges, leading them to diverge phenotypically and genetically over time. This divergence can eventually result in the formation of new species, a process known as speciation.

In contrast, the other options do not accurately reflect the primary role of climate change in speciation. While stabilizing existing habitats might help maintain current species, it is unlikely to encourage the formation of new species. Preventing species from adapting could imply extinction rather than speciation. Lastly, forcing species to migrate to similar habitats does not directly create new selective pressures; instead, it simply shifts their living conditions without necessarily promoting divergence essential for speciation. Therefore, the most fitting explanation for how climate change influences speciation is through the creation