speciation the how and why of species. what is a species? a species is one or more populations of...
Post on 15-Jan-2016
224 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
Speciation
The How and Why of Species
What is a Species?
A species is one or more populations of organisms with the potential to interbreed with one another but NOT with members of other such groups naturally.
“But… What about the liger?”
We’ll get there. I promise!
Determining Separate Species
Biological Species Concept Proposed by Ernst Mayr who said:
“Species are groups of interbreeding natural populations that are reproductively isolated from other such groups."
Explains why the members of a species resemble one another and differ from other species. Breeding organisms pass genes to offspring By contrast, genes are not transferred to other species,
and different species therefore look different
Has some fallacies: asexual organisms, hybrids, ring species, chronospecies
What leads to New Species?
• Diversifying or Directional Selection can lead to new species.• More on this later!
• When differences between subpopulations become large enough that gene flow between them may stop.
Reproductive Isolating MechanismsPrezygotic Barriers
Reproductive Isolating Mechanisms• Prezygotic Barriers
• Geographic Isolation• Ecological Isolation. • Temporal(Time) Isolation• Behavioral Isolation• Mechanical Isolation• Gametic Isolation
Reproductive Isolating Mechanisms
• Postzygotic Barriers• Reduced Hybrid Viability• Reduced Hybrid Fertility• Hybrid Breakdown
Modes of Speciation
Allopatric speciation of squirrels in the Grand Canyon
Allopatric Speciation
New species arise as a result of geographic isolation“Rivers change course, mountains rise,
continents drift, organisms migrate, and what was once a continuous population is divided into two or more smaller populations”
Allopatric means “different homelands”
Sympatric Speciation
Cichlids from Lake Victoria
Sympatric Speciation
Sympatric Speciation
Two subpopulations become reproductively isolated within the same geographic area.
First proposed by Darwin in the 1850s.
Parapatric Speciation
Images from Evolution Berkeley
Parapatric Speciation
No specific extrinsic barrier to gene flowContinuous population exists but the
population does not mate randomly Individuals are more likely to mate with their
geographic neighbors than with individuals in a different part of the population’s range
Divergence may happen because of reduced gene flow within the population and varying selection pressures across the population’s range
Competitive Exclusion
Competitive Exclusion
Also known as Gause’s LawTwo species that compete for the exact same
resources cannot stably coexist. As a result, competing related species often
evolve distinguishing characteristics in areas where they both coexist
Rate of Speciation
Rate of Speciation
• Often can take millions of years, but can occasionally occur faster.• Banana trees moth species
• Gradualism • Punctuated equilibrium
And Now, Those Hybrids…
And Now, Those Hybrids… Ligers – hybrid between lions and tigers Zebroids – hybrid between horses and zebras Cama – hybrid between a camel and a llama
(artificial insemination) Wolphin - bottlenose dolphin and a false killer
whale
Remember, most of these hybrids are sterile and cannot reproduce with each other.
top related