Speciation

Sympatric speciation is one of the most controversial and contested questions in evolutionary biology. Sympatric speciation occurs without geographical barriers preventing species from mating, and the new species seems to develop ‘spontaneously’. It involves the splitting of an original species into two or more reproductively isolated groups. What’s unique about Sympatric speciation is that the process begins with complete genetic mixing between the diverging groups. It can occur due to polyploidy to allow reproduction of hybrids, or sexual selection where females choose who to mate with based on different characteristics (e.g. colours) and by switching habitats not used by the original population.