In the context of evolution, how does continental drift contribute to biodiversity?

Continental drift plays a significant role in enhancing biodiversity through the process of speciation. As continents move over geological timescales, they can create physical barriers, such as oceans and mountains, that separate populations of species. This separation isolates different groups, limiting gene flow between them. Over time, the isolated populations adapt to their unique environments and evolve independently, eventually leading to the emergence of new species.

This process highlights how geographic isolation can drive evolutionary change. Through natural selection and adaptation to specific habitats, diverse evolutionary paths are formed, resulting in increased biodiversity. In contrast, the other responses do not accurately capture the influence of continental drift on biodiversity. For example, unifying all species into a single habitat would decrease biodiversity, while preventing environmental changes does not reflect the reality of constantly changing ecosystems due to geological movements. Similarly, the notion that continental drift reduces the number of habitats contradicts the mechanism's role in creating diverse environments through the formation of new landmasses and ecosystems.