Genetic speciation is the biological process by which reproductive isolation between populations evolves primarily through genetic divergence, leading to the formation of distinct species. It involves the accumulation of heritable genetic differences via mutation, recombination, genetic drift, and natural or sexual selection, which alter allele frequencies and genomic architecture. These changes can generate prezygotic or postzygotic barriers, such as behavioral incompatibilities, hybrid sterility, or reduced hybrid viability. Genetic speciation may occur in various geographic contexts (allopatric, sympatric, parapatric) and is often associated with genomic features like chromosomal rearrangements, divergence in gene regulatory networks, and the fixation of Dobzhansky–Muller incompatibilities.
The Galapagos Islands are famous for the discoveries that shaped Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Now an SFSU graduate has added one more: Ezra Mendales (M.S., '23) describes a new species as part of his master's thesis. ...
Evolution
Mar 26, 2026
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Like the males of many animal species, male Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies, a commonly studied lab animal, are aggressive toward one another and even fight when competing for resources such as food and females. Researchers ...
Plants & Animals
Mar 20, 2026
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The Indo-Pacific is the largest marine biogeographical region on Earth and a global center of marine biodiversity. Nevertheless, there are gaps remaining in our understanding of the diversity, distribution, and endemism of ...
Ecology
Mar 17, 2026
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The tiny Amazon molly (Poecilia formosa) has always fascinated researchers because, according to the rules of evolution, it shouldn't have survived as a species, let alone thrive as a species for over 100,000 years. Using ...
A new University of Utah-led study has discovered the mechanism behind a decades-old evolutionary mystery—how "selfish chromosomes" cheat the rules of genetic inheritance. The researchers found that rogue chromosomes hijack ...
Evolution
Mar 12, 2026
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180
A new study reveals that behavioral isolation between populations of Bahamas mosquitofish is driven primarily by the actions of females—not just through mating choice behaviors, but also through sometimes violent resistance. ...
Evolution
Mar 11, 2026
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A research team led by scientists at the Butantan Institute in São Paulo, Brazil, has completed the most extensive genetic sequencing of a jararaca viper to date. The focus of the study was the genome of the golden lancehead ...
Evolution
Mar 11, 2026
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39
Herring from different parts of the Baltic Sea belong to distinct populations genetically adapted to local differences in salinity and temperature. However, these populations can also mix with each other, according to a new ...
Ecology
Mar 9, 2026
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When closely related species mate, their offspring sometimes survive but cannot reproduce. This pattern often affects males first, with hybrid males frequently failing to produce functional sperm even when hybrid females ...
Evolution
Mar 9, 2026
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1272
Animals of the same species don't always look the same. From birds with different beak shapes to mammals that vary in size or color, populations living in different places can often look very different.
Evolution
Mar 1, 2026
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