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Updated: Jun 23, 2026
07:37
Resurrection of Dormant Daphnia magna: Protocol and Applications
Published on: January 19, 2018
Adaptive radiation, nonadaptive radiation, ecological speciation and nonecological speciation
Rebecca J Rundell1, Trevor D Price
1Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. rrundell@interchange.ubc.ca
Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|May 5, 2009
Summary
Ecological speciation can drive diversification, but speciation may precede ecological divergence. Nonadaptive radiations are common and may explain sympatric species distributions, potentially outcompeting ecologically driven species over time.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Speciation Research
- Ecology
Background:
- Sympatric species often show ecological and morphological differentiation, suggesting ecological speciation.
- Ecological speciation involves divergence driven by ecological factors and reproductive isolation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose an alternative pathway to sympatric species diversification.
- To investigate the role of nonadaptive radiation in generating ecologically differentiated sympatric species.
Main Methods:
- The study proposes theoretical models of speciation.
- It contrasts ecological speciation with nonadaptive radiation followed by ecological differentiation.
Main Results:
- Speciation can precede significant ecological differentiation, particularly via geographical isolation and nonadaptive radiation.
- Nonadaptive radiations are a common mechanism that can lead to ecologically differentiated sympatric species.
Conclusions:
- Nonadaptive radiation offers a viable alternative route to ecological speciation for generating sympatric species.
- This pathway may be more prevalent than previously thought, especially in radiations not susceptible to strong ecological speciation.
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