As land became detached, what effect would this have had on the development of species?

The Grand Canyon squirrel population is one example of this; as the canyon grew, the land split and the squirrel populations on either side of the canyon split off.

There are size and color differences between the two populations of squirrels; the larger squirrels are found on the north side of the canyon than the smaller ones.

Since the populations of the various species would split off as a divergent zone split off the current tectonic plate—African elephants differ from Asian elephants, so it makes sense to suppose that both African and Asian elephants were once a single population.

The detachment of land masses, such as through continental drift, would have affected the development of species by creating geographic isolation, leading to allopatric speciation and the formation of distinct species in different regions. This process would promote genetic divergence and adaptation to local environments, contributing to biodiversity.