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Formation of Species

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 Rates

Speciation Rates

Conservation of Small Populations

Conservation of Small Populations

Small population sizes put a species at extreme risk of extinction due to a lack of variation, and a consequent decrease in adaptability. This weakens the chances of survival under pressures such as climate change, competition from other species, or new diseases. Large populations are more likely to survive pressures such as these, as such populations are more likely to harbor individuals that have genetic variants that are adaptive under new stresses. Small populations are much less...

Conservation of Declining Populations

Conservation of Declining Populations

Conservation of declining population focuses on ways of detecting, diagnosing, and halting a population decline. The approach uses methods to prevent populations from going extinct.

What is a Species?

What is a Species?

Gene Flow

Gene Flow

Gene flow is the transfer of genes among populations, resulting from either the dispersal of gametes or from the migration of individuals.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 8, 2025

Determination of Self- and Inter-incompatibility Relationships in Apricot Combining Hand-Pollination, Microscopy and Genetic Analyses

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Reconciling Santa Rosalia: Both Reproductive Isolation and Coexistence Constrain Diversification.

Brian A Lerch, Reinhard Bürger, Maria R Servedio

The American Naturalist

|November 1, 2024

Summary

Species persistence, not just generation, is key to diversification. Ecology and genetics interact to shape species coexistence, with ecological limits crucial for long-term biodiversity patterns.

Keywords:

MacArthur resource competition model asymmetric selection competitive exclusion ephemeral speciation model sympatric speciation

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Last Updated: Jun 8, 2025

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary Biology
Ecology
Population Genetics

Background:

Understanding diversification requires accounting for both species generation and persistence.
Current speciation models focus on generation, neglecting biodiversity maintenance and coexistence.
This gap limits understanding of macroevolutionary diversification controls.

Purpose of the Study:

To bridge coexistence and speciation theory.
To assess the roles of ecological vs. genetic constraints in diversification.
To explore eco-evolutionary outcomes of speciation events.

Main Methods:

Developed a deterministic, three-locus, population-genetic model.
Incorporated skewed resource distribution, frequency-dependent competition, and assortative mating.
Analyzed the interplay between ecological and genetic factors.

Main Results:

Ecology and genetics play interacting, vital roles in speciation and eco-evolutionary outcomes.
Ecological constraints are significant with large fitness differences and strong competition.
Species persistence, limited by competitive exclusion, can be the rate-limiting factor in diversification.

Conclusions:

Unification of ecological and evolutionary perspectives is necessary for predicting large-scale biodiversity patterns.
Species persistence is a critical, often overlooked, control on diversification rates.
Eco-evolutionary models are essential for a comprehensive understanding of diversification.