SPECIATION & GENETIC DRIFT- Disruptive selection leads to speciation (allopatric & sympatric).

Miss Estruch9 minutes read

Speciation is driven by genetic variation, natural selection, and competition, leading to the development of new species through the accumulation of genetic differences and reproductive isolation. Different types of natural selection, such as stabilizing, directional, and disruptive, play a role in shaping the evolution of populations and promoting the emergence of new species.

Insights

  • Natural selection plays a crucial role in speciation by favoring advantageous phenotypes, leading to changes in allele frequency and the emergence of new species over time.
  • Speciation can occur through allopatric or sympatric mechanisms, with geographical or reproductive isolation driving the divergence of populations and the accumulation of genetic differences that ultimately result in the formation of distinct species.

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Recent questions

  • What is speciation?

    Speciation is the process by which one population splits into two reproductively isolated groups, leading to the formation of new species. This can occur due to geographical or reproductive mechanism changes, resulting in the accumulation of genetic differences over time.

  • How does natural selection impact evolution?

    Natural selection plays a crucial role in evolution by favoring individuals with advantageous phenotypes, allowing them to survive, reproduce, and pass on favorable alleles. This leads to changes in allele frequency within populations over generations.

  • What are the types of natural selection?

    There are three types of natural selection: stabilizing, directional, and disruptive. Stabilizing selection favors intermediate phenotypes, directional selection favors one extreme phenotype, and disruptive selection favors extreme traits, potentially leading to speciation.

  • What causes genetic variation within populations?

    Genetic variation primarily arises from mutations and meiosis. Mutations introduce new alleles into a population, while meiosis shuffles existing alleles, leading to a wide range of phenotypes within populations.

  • How does speciation occur?

    Speciation can occur through allopatric speciation, involving geographical separation, or sympatric speciation, where populations in the same location are behaviorally isolated. Both processes result in the creation of new species by accumulating genetic differences between populations.

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Summary

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"Natural selection drives speciation through variation"

  • Speciation is discussed in the context of variation, competition, and evolution, with natural selection being a key factor due to competition for resources and survival differences.
  • Genetic variation primarily arises from mutations and meiosis, leading to a wide range of phenotypes within populations.
  • Natural selection favors individuals with advantageous phenotypes, allowing them to survive, reproduce, and pass on favorable alleles, resulting in changes in allele frequency.
  • Three types of natural selection exist: stabilizing, directional, and disruptive, with disruptive selection leading to speciation by favoring extreme traits over time.
  • Speciation occurs when one population splits into two reproductively isolated groups due to geographical or reproductive mechanism changes, leading to the accumulation of genetic differences.
  • Allopatric speciation involves geographical separation, while sympatric speciation occurs when populations in the same location are behaviorally isolated, both resulting in the creation of new species.
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