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Related Concept Videos

What is Biodiversity?01:19

What is Biodiversity?

Biodiversity describes the variety of living things at multiple organizational levels: genetic, species and ecosystem diversity. Species diversity includes all branches of the evolutionary tree from single-celled prokaryotic organisms, bacteria, and archaea, to the eukaryotic kingdoms: plants; animals; fungi; and protists. To date, there have been about 1.75 million species identified, and new species are discovered every week.
Understanding Species and Reproductive Barriers01:17

Understanding Species and Reproductive Barriers

A species is a group of organisms that interbreed and produce fertile offspring. Typically, individuals of the same species appear similar and share common characteristics due to their highly similar genomes. However, not all organisms that look alike are members of the same species. Various mechanisms keep most species discrete. While some mechanisms prevent reproductive behavior and fertilization (pre-zygotic isolation), others prevent the production of fertile offspring after mating has...
Formation of Species01:31

Formation of Species

Speciation describes the formation of one or more new species from one or sometimes multiple original species. The resulting species are discrete from the parent species, and barriers to reproduction will typically exist. There are two primary mechanisms, speciation with and without geographic isolation—allopatric and sympatric speciation, respectively.Allopatric SpeciationIn allopatric speciation, gene flow between two populations of the same species is prevented by a geographic barrier, like...
Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift01:09

Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift

In a population that is not at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of alleles changes over time. Therefore, any deviations from the five conditions of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium can alter the genetic variation of a given population. Conditions that change the genetic variability of a population include mutations, natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow, and genetic drift (small population size).Mechanisms of Genetic VariationThe original sources of genetic variation are mutations,...
Genetics of Speciation02:16

Genetics of Speciation

Speciation is the evolutionary process resulting in the formation of new, distinct species—groups of reproductively isolated populations.The genetics of speciation involves the different traits or isolating mechanisms preventing gene exchange, leading to reproductive isolation. Reproductive isolation can be due to reproductive barriers that have effects either before or after the formation of a zygote. Pre-zygotic mechanisms prevent fertilization from occurring, and post-zygotic mechanisms...
The Evidence for Evolution02:55

The Evidence for Evolution

Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.The collection of fossils within sedimentary rocks give a record of common ancestry and often depicts the history of evolution.

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Experimental Protocol for Manipulating Plant-induced Soil Heterogeneity
08:16

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Published on: March 13, 2014

Species diversity can drive speciation.

Brent C Emerson1, Niclas Kolm

  • 1Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK. b.emerson@uea.ac.uk

Nature
|April 23, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Species diversity may drive its own increase by promoting speciation. This study found that higher species numbers on islands correlate with greater diversification rates, even when accounting for physical island traits.

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Ecology
  • Island Biogeography
  • Conservation Biology
  • Speciation Research

Background:

  • Understanding species diversity patterns is a core question in ecology and conservation.
  • Island biogeography theory highlights immigration, extinction, area, and proximity's roles.
  • Speciation is recognized as a key driver of biodiversity, but its relationship with diversity is less explored.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the unexplored hypothesis that species diversity itself can promote speciation.
  • To test for a positive relationship between species diversity and the rate of diversification on islands.
  • To determine if higher species numbers lead to increased diversification.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from plants and arthropods across the Canary and Hawaiian Islands.

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  • Defined the index of diversification as the proportion of endemic species on each island.
  • Statistically controlled for significant physical features of the islands to isolate the effect of species number.

    • Main Results:

    • A strong positive relationship was observed between the number of species on an island and its rate of diversification.
    • The proportion of endemic species (an indicator of diversification) increased significantly with the total species count.
    • This relationship persisted even after accounting for island area, isolation, and other physical characteristics.

    Conclusions:

    • Species diversity appears to be a significant factor in promoting further diversification (speciation).
    • The findings support a feedback loop where diversity begets more diversity.
    • This has critical implications for understanding biodiversity patterns and informing conservation strategies in island ecosystems.