Lord Howe Island is a volcanic island in the Tasman Sea that is about 11 km long and 2.8 km wide. The island has two species of palm trees, Howea forsteriana and the more abundant Howea belmoreana. The two species do not interbreed
even when they grow very close to each other. Which evolutionary process fails to occur?
Gene flow between the two species
B) Genetic drift of Howea forsteriana
© Natural selection of adaptive traits in both species
D Mutations in Howea belmoreana

Answer: Hybridization.

Hybridization is the process through which two species can mate with each other and produce fertile offspring thus creating a new species.

This is not happening with the two palm species on the island. This may be due to prezygotic barriers that prevent these two species from mating and producing a zygote (fertilized egg cell). In essence these barriers prevent any gene flow between the two species.

OPTIONS:

A. Genetic drift of Howea forsteriana  B. Natural selection of adaptive traits in both species  C. Gene flow between the two species  D. Mutations in Howea belmoreana

C. Gene flow between the two species

Explanation:

One of the important evolutionary processes that drives evolution among species population is gene flow. Gene flow refers to the transfer of genes from one population to another through migration and reproduction, whereby new gene versions from one population are introduced into the other, and vice versa. genetic materials are exchanged between two the two populations thereby causing genetic variation.

Therefore, the inability of howea forsteriana and howea belmoreana to interbreed is most likely caused by lack of gene flow between both species.

Gene flow is the evolutionary process that is not occurring in the described scenario.