Soon after the island of Hawaii rose above the sea surface (somewhat less than 1 million years ago), the evolution of life on this new island should have been most strongly influenced byA) genetic bottleneck. B) sexual selection. C) habitat differentiation. D) founder effect.

The correct answer is - founder effect

Explanation:

Founder effect occurs when a small number of individual isolates from the majority of the population by natural calamity or any other region. These isolated individuals show less genetic diversity than the larger population because they are less in numbers.

Therefore founder effect makes a small group of individuals isolate from a bigger population and make them occupy a different habitat. So a founder population can go on a newly developed island and start reproducing there.

A founder population over time converts into a new species because of reproductive isolation from the main population. So the evolution of life on the island of Hawaii should have been most strongly influenced by founder effect.