Speciation

I. What is a species? A. Biological species: groups of populations whose members have the potential to interbreed in their natural environment and produce viable offspring; maintained by reproductive isolation

Speciation
I. A. 1. This doesnt work for extinct populations, or 2. Asexually reproducing organisms because reproductive isolation cannot be evaluated

Speciation
I. B. Morphospecies: similarities in morphology with the underlying assumption that distinctive morphologies would arise in isolated, independent populations, i.e., no gene flow

Speciation
I. C. Phylogenetic species: a cluster of organisms that represents a genealogy or a lineage of descent from a single ancestor

Speciation
II. How does it happen? A portion of an ancestral species becomes reproductively isolated; there are two major mechanisms

Speciation
II. A. Allopatric speciation: geographic isolation leads to genetic drift and/or natural selection to such an extent that the derived species can no longer mate successfully with members of its ancestral species; this is the major mechanism of speciation

Speciation
II. A. 1. Dispersal

Speciation
II. A. 2. Vicariance

Speciation
II. B. Sympatric speciation: a new species arises within the midst of the ancestral population 1. Common in plants

Speciation
II. B. 2. Polyploidy a. Autoploidy b. Alloploidy 3. Also observed in various animal species

Speciation
III. Maintenance of species: two types of reproductive isolation (prezygotic barriers and postzygotic barriers)

Speciation
III. A. Prezygotic barriers: prevent fertilization 1. Temporal isolation: life cycle timing differences

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III. A. 2. Habitat isolation: physical separation

Speciation
III. A. 3. Behavioral (or, sexual) isolation: no attraction between male and female

Speciation
III. A. 4. Mechanical isolation: incompatible reproductive structures

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III. A. 5. Gametic isolation: chemical incompatibility of gametes

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III. B. Postzygotic barriers: reduction of the viability or fertility of a hybrid

Speciation
III. B. 1. Hybrid inviability: embryonic death of a hybrid

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III. B. 2. Hybrid breakdown: offspring of hybrid unable to reproduce

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III. B. 3. Hybrid sterility: hybrid cannot reproduce as an adult a. Mule: female horse + male donkey b. Hinny: female donkey + male horse

Speciation
IV. Possible outcomes of postspeciation contact A. Reinforcement B. Hybrid Zones C. Hybridization 1. New species 2. Species extinction