Sympatric speciation through polyploidy has been a frequent phenomenon in the evolution of ____.

A) insects
B) mammals
C) bacteria
D) plants
E) fish

Sympatric speciation through polyploidy is a common mode of speciation in plants. This is because polyploidy (having more than two sets of chromosomes) can occur spontaneously in plants, and many polyploid plants are reproductively isolated from their diploid progenitors, leading to the rapid diversification and speciation of plant lineages. In contrast, polyploidy is a rare event in animals and bacteria.