What evolutionary process can lead to the development of new species over time?

Disruptive selection is an evolutionary process that can lead to the development of new species, or speciation, over time. This occurs when environmental conditions favor individuals at both extremes of a phenotypic range, while those with intermediate traits are selected against. As a result, populations can diverge, adapting to different niches or environments, ultimately leading to reproductive isolation.

When individuals at the extremes survive and reproduce more effectively than those with average traits, the genetic variation within the population can increase. If these adaptations continue over generations, populations can become sufficiently distinct genetically and phenotypically, leading to the emergence of new species. This mechanism is particularly effective in heterogeneous environments where different strategies can provide advantages.

In contrast, other options like gene flow, genetic drift, and the bottleneck effect can influence allele frequencies and genetic diversity within populations but do not inherently drive the process of speciation in the same robust manner as disruptive selection does. Gene flow generally promotes genetic similarity between populations, while genetic drift can lead to random changes in alleles but doesn’t necessarily favor adaptation. The bottleneck effect results from a significant reduction in population size, which can reduce genetic variation but does not directly lead to the formation of new species.