When Can Speciation Occur?

When Can Speciation Occur?

Speciation occurs when two or more populations become so genetically distinct that they no longer interbreed with one another. There are multiple ways this can occur. The natural ways speciation can occur are allopatric, parapatric, and sympatric speciation

sympatric speciation
In biology, two related species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus frequently encounter one another. An initially interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct species sharing a common range exemplifies sympatric speciation.
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What can cause speciation to occur?

Scientists think that geographic isolation is a common way for the process of speciation to begin: rivers change course, mountains rise, continents drift, organisms migrate, and what was once a continuous population is divided into two or more smaller populations.

What 3 things can cause speciation?

Mate choice, competition, and the variety of resources available are the key factors influencing how a species evolves into separate species, according to a new mathematical model that integrates all three factors to reveal the dynamics at play in a process called sympatric speciation.

James H. Sterling
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James H. Sterling

James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.