Imagine that a scientist wants to create a new species of minion-one that is a cross between a shark and a wolf. To his dismay, when he introduces shark sperm and wolf eggs into a petri dish, no viable embryos form. Why?

a. This is due to selection among embryos favoring the pure shark and pure wolf lines.

b. The wolf eggs and shark sperm are temporally separated.

c. This could be an example of pre-zygotic isolation, where the proteins of the shark sperm and wolf eggs do not interact properly; however, this could also be an example of genetic incompatibility, where genomic differences between sharks and wolves prevent the formation of viable embryos.

d. This is an example of behavioral isolation-the shark sperm do not perform the correct courtship rituals to fertilize the wolf eggs.

e. This must be due to post-zygotic isolation.

Answer: c. This could be an example of pre-zygotic isolation, where the proteins of the shark sperm and wolf eggs do not interact properly; however, this could also be an example of genetic incompatibility, where genomic differences between sharks and wolves prevent the formation of viable embryos.

Explanation:

Pre-zygotic reproductive isolation occurs when sperm from one species is incapable of fertilizing the ovum or ovary of other species. Hence, the fertilization and reproduction will not occur. In the genetic incompatibility two morphologically and genetically different organisms mate but due differences in the gametes they are incapable of producing offsprings.

The given situation is an example of pre-zygotic isolation and genetic incompatibility. The pre-zygotic isolation will occur due to differences in the proteins of fertilizing sperm of shark and egg of wolf. This could also be the example of genetic incompatibility as the sperm and egg are incapable of fusing and forming viable embryo.