Astudent argues that being separated geographically is the only way for speciation to occur. why is he wrong?

He is wrong because "Specialization can occur from biological forces as well."

Explanation:

The biological forces are the non-social factors which enhances the physical structure of a person, mostly it is about the human physic. Biological forces also affects the person's psychological as well as the sociocultural forces in order make a fully organized and developed human being or a person.  Not only the physic it may be any physiological, chemical, neurological or can be genetic condition. They are the primary factor to know the behavior of a person.

"a scientist studying a whale and its surroundings would need to understand the structure of atoms in case something was negatively affecting the whale or its surroundings."

explanation:

this was from the link provided:

the unequal cytoplasmic division that  results  in  one egg  and three polar bodies ensures that a fertilized  egg has  ample nutrients  forits journey  to  the uterus.