Analyze the Effects of Reproductive Isolation

The MUSE demonstrates what would happen when animals of the same species are suddenly split into two groups by natural disasters such as an earthquake. According to the MUSE, when species are split into two, it will result in what is called speciation. Speciation results in the emergence of a new species. The process is explained using the principle of reproductive isolation. Speciation is associated with other features. The next section of the paper will use the case of lizard which is separated by natural barriers to demonstrate what may happen

When the populations of lizards are divided, the barrier would first create what is called divergence. The new population will experience what is called genetic drift and natural selection. The genetic drift is the term used to describe the changes in a gene pool that can be attributed to chance. The kind of genetic drift that is likely to occur in the case is called bottleneck genetic drift. This form of genetic drift occurs as a result of inbreeding. It occurs when individuals in a small population breed with one another. Inbreeding can occur when a population passes through a demographic bottleneck. Consequently, the lizards in the island, exchange similar genes after sometime. They will have a limited gene pool. In most cases, genetic drift leads to the fixation of deleterious, neutral, or beneficial alleles. Some thinkers describe it as the change in frequencies of alleles in a population due to chance. High frequency of similar genes may lead to what is called inbreeding. Over time, new species with new adaptive features will emerge. This is how speciation occurs ( Audesirk, 2008). 

Reference

Audesirk, T., Audesirk, G., & Byers, B. E. (2008).  Biology: Life on earth with physiology . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.