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Related Concept Videos

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.
Speciation Rates01:07

Speciation Rates

Overview
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.
Types of Selection01:46

Types of Selection

Natural selection influences the frequencies of particular alleles and phenotypes within populations in several different ways. Primarily, natural selection can be directional, stabilizing, or disruptive. Directional selection favors one extreme trait and shifts the population towards that phenotype while selecting against individuals displaying alternate traits. Stabilizing selection favors an intermediate trait with a narrow range of variation. Deviation from the optimal phenotype towards an...
Mate Choice01:20

Mate Choice

Mate choice—the decision about whom to mate with—is a type of natural selection, since animals must reproduce to pass down their genes. Mate choice is also called intersexual selection because the behavior occurs between the sexes.
Frequency-dependent Selection01:21

Frequency-dependent Selection

When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.

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Manipulation of Color Patterns in Jumping Spiders for Use in Behavioral Experiments
09:03

Manipulation of Color Patterns in Jumping Spiders for Use in Behavioral Experiments

Published on: May 21, 2019

Accelerated speciation in colour-polymorphic birds.

Andrew F Hugall1, Devi Stuart-Fox

  • 1Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia. ahugall@museum.vic.gov.au

Nature
|June 5, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Colour polymorphism, or varied color patterns within species, accelerates bird speciation. However, this trait is lost more often than gained, explaining its rarity and linking it to evolutionary diversification.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Ornithology
  • Speciation Research

Background:

  • Colour polymorphism, characterized by diverse color patterns within populations, is taxonomically widespread yet generally rare.
  • Theoretical models propose that colour polymorphism can drive speciation, but empirical evidence for this generality is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between colour polymorphism and speciation rates across avian families.
  • To determine the evolutionary dynamics of colour polymorphism, including its gain and loss rates.
  • To test the hypothesis that colour polymorphism promotes speciation.

Main Methods:

  • Construction and analysis of species-level molecular phylogenies for five non-passerine bird families.
  • Phylogenetic comparative methods to assess speciation and extinction rates in polymorphic versus monomorphic species.
  • Analysis of a large-scale phylogeny of passerines to compare the ages of polymorphic and monomorphic species.

Main Results:

  • Colour polymorphism is linked to accelerated speciation rates in bird groups where it is most common.
  • The rate of loss of colour polymorphism (transition to monomorphism) significantly exceeds the rate of its gain.
  • Polymorphic bird species are evolutionarily younger than monomorphic species, supporting a role in recent diversification.

Conclusions:

  • The rarity of colour polymorphism results from a balance between increased speciation and high rates of loss.
  • Empirical data support the classical evolutionary theory that colour polymorphism can act as a catalyst for speciation.
  • Fixation of specific morphs within polymorphic populations may drive divergence and subsequent speciation events.