A new study conducted by scientists from IIT Bombay has shed light on the conditions and mechanisms that can lead to Sympatric Speciation.
- Speciation is a lineage-splitting event that produces two or more separate species. This process generates biodiversity. Following are the two primary types:
- Allopatric Speciation: Occurs when populations are physically separated by geographic barriers like mountains or rivers.
- Sympatric Speciation: It can happen even when populations live in the same area without geographical barriers.
- Although ecological evidence exists to support this hypothesis, experimental evidence was absent in its support.
Key findings
- Disruptive Selection: Non-uniform resources present in the environment, cause populations to adapt to distinct traits.
- Disruptive selection is a process by which individuals with extreme traits have a higher fitness than those with intermediate traits.
- For instance, birds with smaller beaks are better at eating nuts, while those with larger beaks are better suited for accessing nectar.
- Role of sexual selection: Preference for mates based on a relevant trait that helps in utilising the environmental resources better was the driving force behind speciation
- Genetic architecture has a key role: For example, if the genetic architecture allowed changes in beak size, then a speciation could occur even with a weak role of disruptive selection.