Question

Several species of sea urchins may inhabit the same tide pool, and their reproductive periods overlap. Although they practice external fertilization, they seldom interbreed because eggs produce chemicals that are only attractive to sperm of their species. This is an example of a _________ barrier involving _______________.

a) Geographic; physical barriers
b) Gametic; biochemical barriers
c) Behavioral; mating rituals
d) Temporal; reproductive timing

Answer 1

Several species of sea urchins inhabiting the same tide pool practice external fertilization, but seldom interbreed due to a gametic barrier involving chemicals produced by eggs.

Step-by-step explanation:

The given scenario describes an example of a prezygotic barrier known as gametic barrier. In this case, several species of sea urchins inhabit the same tide pool, but they seldom interbreed due to the production of chemicals by eggs that are only attractive to sperm of their own species.