Overview
Sympatric speciation is a fascinating evolutionary process where new species arise from a single ancestral species while living in the same geographic area. This can happen through various mechanisms, such as polyploidy, where organisms have multiple sets of chromosomes, or behavioral changes that l...
Key Terms
Example: Darwin's finches are an example of speciation.
Example: Many plants, like wheat, are polyploid.
Example: Different mating calls in frogs can lead to reproductive isolation.
Example: Two species of birds may occupy different niches in the same tree.
Example: Different mating rituals in birds can lead to behavioral isolation.
Example: Cichlids in African lakes exhibit many species due to sympatric speciation.
Related Topics
Allopatric Speciation
The process of speciation that occurs when populations are geographically isolated.
intermediateAdaptive Radiation
The rapid evolution of diversely adapted species from a common ancestor.
advancedNatural Selection
The process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.
intermediateKey Concepts
SpeciationGenetic DivergenceReproductive IsolationEcological Niche