View synonyms for speciation

speciation

[ spee-shee-ey-shuhn, -see-ey- ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, Biology.

the formation of new species specie species as a result of geographic, physiological, anatomical, or behavioral factors that prevent previously interbreeding populations from breeding with each other.

speciation

/ ˌspiːʃɪˈeɪʃən /

the evolutionary development of a biological species, as by geographical isolation of a group of individuals from the main stock

speciation

/ spē′shē-ā′shən /

The formation of new biological species by the development or branching of one species into two or more genetically distinct ones. The divergence of species is thought to result primarily from the geographic isolation of a population, especially when confronted with environmental conditions that vary from those experienced by the rest of the species, and from the random change in the frequency of certain alleles (known as genetic drift ). According to the theory of evolution, all life on Earth has resulted from the speciation of earlier organisms.
See also adaptive radiation

First recorded in 1895–1900; speci(es) + -ation

C20: from species + -ation

Natural selection plus geographical and ecological isolation has undoubtedly been operative in speciation and in subspeciation.

Nutrition may be also a factor influencing speciation in bird life.

According to present-day concepts of variation and speciation, Andersen's criteria are artificial.

Additional remarks on the distribution of this species are in the section on Zoogeography and Speciation.

In fact, isolation is a most important factor in speciation of insular populations (Baker, 1951:55).

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