1. would separated populations of squirrels be able to interbreed if the barrier was no longer there? defend…

Brief Explanations:

If the barrier separating squirrel populations is removed, whether they can interbreed depends on genetic divergence. If the separation time was short and genetic differences are minimal, they likely can interbreed as they are still the same species. However, if long - term separation led to significant genetic changes like genetic drift or natural selection in different environments, reproductive isolation may have occurred and interbreeding might not be possible.

Answer:

It depends. If there has been little genetic divergence during separation, they can interbreed. If significant genetic changes have occurred leading to reproductive isolation, they cannot.