How can polyploidy cause speciation in plants?
A. Plants can sexually reproduce only when they are polyploid. Having the condition is normal in plants.
B. Plants are not affected by polyploidy. Plants with the condition can reproduce normally.
C. Plants can repair polyploidy and obtain healthy cells. This allows plants to survive and reproduce.
D. Plants can asexually reproduce by self-pollinating themselves. This allows polyploid individuals to survive and reproduce.
D. Plants can asexually reproduce by self-pollinating themselves. This allows polyploid individuals to survive and reproduce.
D. Plants can asexually reproduce by self-pollinating themselves. This allows polyploid individuals to survive and reproduce.
Polyploidy can cause speciation in plants through a process known as autopolyploidy. In this process, plants that have extra sets of chromosomes (polyploid individuals) are able to reproduce asexually by self-pollination. This means that they can fertilize their own eggs without the need for genetically distinct individuals. This leads to the formation of new species because the polyploid individuals are reproductively isolated from their diploid counterparts, which can only reproduce sexually. Over time, these polyploid individuals can accumulate genetic changes and become a distinct species. So, the ability to asexually reproduce allows polyploid plants to survive and reproduce, leading to the potential for speciation.