问题详情

Most ecologists believe that ancient populations of chipmunks diverged genetically when isolated from one another by mountains and unfavorable ecological habitat. These scattered populations first evolved into races—adapted to the local ecological conditions—and then into species, reproductively isolated from one another. This period of evolution was relatively recent, as evidenced by the similar appearance of all the western chipmunk species.

The word "diverged" in the passage is closest in meaning to

A．declined

B．competed

C．progressed

D．separated

请帮忙给出正确答案和分析，谢谢！