In california, a species of salamanders were geographically separated over time. the group that lived in southern california relied heavily on large gold blotches on their skin that to camouflage them from predators. the group that lived along the coast adopted a color pattern that mimicked a poisonous, colorful newt common to that area. instead of being camouflaged, these salamanders advertised their colors. what type of selection process has occurred over time?

It ocurred a selection by allopatric speciation

Explanation:

The allopatric speciation refers to the evolution in which the same specie starts developing different characteristics because of geographic barrers and this characteristics after some time generates two different specie.

It happens because usually according to the environment or the predators, species have to develop different adaptations so they can survive. In this case we have two different types of camouflage adaptations made by the salamanders acording to the conditions so for one specie it is better to camouflage from the predator mean while to the other is better to use lived colors to seem as it is a poisonous animal and in this way avoid the predators.

So you can see the same specie develop different strategies to survive because of a geographic separation, generating an allopatric speciation.

natural selection

Explanation:

they have their own power to do so without anything or anyone to bend the answer in any shape or form thus it a natural power of the species