The Kaibab and Abert’s squirrels are examples of how natural selection can contribute to speciation. Scientists believe that these two species have evolved separately for over 10,000 years with the Kaibab squirrel living in a higher elevation area than the Abert’s squirrel. The main difference between the two is their color pattern: while both have red coloring on their face, ears, and shoulders, only the head of a Kaibab is black. This adaptation helps protect them from predators in areas where they live at higher elevations because they blend into trees more easily when viewed from below.
This explains why scientists believe there has been some form of natural selection that led to this separation between populations.
Again, the Kaibab squirrel has evolved to have black coloring on their head. This is a protective adaptation that helps them blend in when viewed from below, like from an eagle’s perspective for example.
The Abert’s squirrel only turns red at its face and ears but its entire body remains brown with white highlights which help it better camouflage itself against predators who view them from the ground or above trees.
Scientists believe that these two species are evolving separately due to different environmental conditions they each live in: one lives higher up than the other within the elevation range of Arizona; thus, this causes speciation over time as natural selection takes place based on where these creatures live geographically.
Some aspects of their habitats might be causing the speciation to occur. For example, the Abert’s squirrel eats from pinyon pine trees and now lives at higher elevations than their prey species does which means that they are no longer in competition for food sources with them.
Still other factors might be contributing to this phenomenon as well such as behavioral differences between these two types of squirrels.
The Kaibab Squirrel has always lived lower down on tree trunks where it can more easily find food underneath while the Abet’s have adapted by eating from high up pines; thus, there is less overlap in resources today because one preys on different things than the other does.
Scientists believe that over time, natural selection will cause the speciation of two types of squirrels in the Great Basin region:
The Abert’s Squirrel eats from pinyon pine trees and now lives at higher elevations than their prey species does which means that they are no longer in competition for food sources with them.
Still other factors might be contributing to this phenomenon as well such as behavioral differences between these two types of squirrels.
The Kaibab Squirrel has always lived lower down on tree trunks where it can more easily find food underneath while the Abet’s Squirrel has been climbing higher up the tree, becoming less dependent on lower sources of food.
These two types of squirrels are an example of how natural selection can contribute to speciation and why scientists believe that they were once one species but have evolved into two separate ones over time.
The Abert’s Squirrel eats from pinyon pine trees and now lives at higher elevations than their prey species does which means that they are no longer in competition for food sources with them. Still other factors might be contributing to this phenomenon as well such as behavioral differences between these two types of squirrels. The Kaibab Squirrel has always lived lower down on tree trunks where it can more easily find food underneath while the Abet’s Squirrel lives in higher trees. Another factor might be that the Kaibab squirrel has a thicker coat to keep it warm at lower elevations while the Abet’s doesn’t have this protection, as well as other behavioral differences between these two types of squirrels.
The Abert’s and Kaibab squirrels are an example of how natural selection can contribute to speciation because they live in different habitats with different food sources which means they no longer compete for resources like food. This is why scientists believe that these two types of squirrel were once one species but have now evolved into two separate ones over time due to their adaptation to changing environments living at either high or low altitude areas within Grand Canyon National Park.
The Abert’s has a thicker coat than the Kaibab, as well as other behavioral differences between these two types of squirrels.
The abet’s doesn’t have this protection, as well as other behavioural differences between these two types of squirrels.
