What major environmental shifts are identified as sculptors of gorilla evolutionary history?
Answer
Cycles of glaciation and associated shifts in forest cover
The physical geography and fragmentation experienced by gorilla populations over evolutionary timescales are strongly linked to global climate patterns. Specifically, the cyclical nature of glaciation periods caused substantial climatic drying. This drying led directly to the contraction of dense forest habitats, which are essential for gorillas. The resulting fragmentation isolated groups into pockets, creating population bottlenecks that drove significant evolutionary divergence, particularly evident in the recent separation of the Western subspecies.
Related Questions
When did the Western Gorilla lineage diverge from the lineage leading to humans?Approximately when did the ancestors of Eastern (*G. beringei*) and Western (*G. gorilla*) gorillas split?Which two recognized subspecies comprise the Western Gorilla species (*Gorilla gorilla*)?What is the estimated divergence time between ancestors of the Cross River and Western Lowland Gorillas?What geographic feature acted as a barrier separating the Cross River Gorillas from the Lowland cousins?What complex genetic process occurred between diverging Eastern and Western gorilla populations before their final separation?What major environmental shifts are identified as sculptors of gorilla evolutionary history?How are typical gorilla societies structured around dominant males, according to social evolution insights?What conservation implication arises from the deep genetic separation of the Cross River Gorilla (*G. b. diehli*)?What genetic event affecting effective population size occurred prior to the split of Western and Eastern lineages?