What is the speciation and examples

The speciation is the process by which more species are generated from an initial species. This occurs when ramifications are presented in the genetic trees of organisms, that is, when new species are generated from an initial.

To more understand this concept, remember that a species is a biological unit that can be reproduced between organisms of the same type. To scientifically refer to a species, the binomial nomenclaturethat is, two names. For example the white shark is Carcharodon Carchariaswhere the Carcharadon It is gender and Carcharias The species. The right way to write it is always in italics so that it is not confused with other taxonomic categories.

Some of the differences that are generated During the variation it can be in:

• Body structures.
• The behavior.
• Tolerance at temperature or pH.

How does the speciation happen? This process happens for two main causes or, in other words, there are two different speciation mechanisms:

• Reproductive insulation: ORGANISMS FOR REPRODUCTIVE OBSTACLES begin to develop differences that over time makes reproduction between them impossible. Obstacles can be geographical, which is very common because of how dynamic the earth is. Mountains can be opened, rivers change course or divide the continents. They can also be mechanical or by behavior. This group of obstacles is known as Precopulatory and occur before the nazca offspring. On the other hand, this bifurcation can originate after the descendants are born, by situations such as lethal diseases, for example. These are mechanisms Postcopulatory.
• Hybridization: When there is no barrier there can also be speciation. Here are reproductions between different species, but that are reproductively compatible. It is more common to happen in plants than in animals, when it is natural means. Artificially man usually intervenes to achieve species designed to his benefit.

The speciation is complex and there is not a single type. Here are those that exist.

• Allopatric speciation: It refers to the geographical division that causes species to be generated. The opposite conditions generated by such division lead to generating changes between the two organisms that do not allow them to reproduce each other. The division can be due to distances or by geographical barriers.
• Peripatric speciation: It is a type of allopathy, and it occurs when there are very few individuals of the same species as a result of geographical isolation. Small genetic variations in these few individuals perpetuate and form other species.
• Parapátric speciation: There is no isolation here and there are continuous populations, but there is differentiation because reproduction is not random. They can reproduce with each other, but have different characters that will eventually lead to separation in two lineages.
• Sympatric speciation: It occurs when organisms of the same species explore new niches. This reduces genetic flow and creates new species. It occurs very few occasions.

For you to understand you better, we present some speciation examples.

There are plants called Anthoxanthum odoratum that have grown near mines, and have developed resistance to heavy metals. Plants of the same species that are not close to the mines can be reproduced with those who are. But as a difference, they have flowering times in opposite seasons. This will lead to a decrease in gene flow and that in the future can be created two different species. This is an example for parapátric speciation.

A Example of hybridization are mules. This is a combination of a donkey Equus Africanus Asinus and a mare Equus Ferus Caballuswhich are different species but are sexually compatible. They result in another new species: the mule Equus Africanus X Ferus.

This hybridization was made by man, as well as many others he has done for livestock. They are meek and strong, but they have a disadvantage that they are infertile. For each mule who wants to originate, hybridization has to be started from scratch.

Finally we find Darwin’s pinzones, which are another great example of speciation. Galapagos Island was isolated a long time ago and, from the existing pinzones, they specialized with different peaks for different feedsto form new species.

Do not miss the difference between donkey, donkey and mule in the following Ecology Verde article that we recommend.

Thanks to the speciation is that today there are millions of species. We can say, in fact, that the relationship between speciation and biodiversity is very narrow, since Thanks to her she has created The huge and unique Biodiversity That has our planet.

The speciation also allows a trophic chain with distributed roles that complete a circle and satisfy the energy need between organisms.

On the other hand, the speciation has ecological importance. Being multiple species there may be a competition distributed by niches. If there were few species there would be a lot of pressure between them on natural resources and deriving in overexploitation, or even extinction.

Finally, the speciation allows biodiversity to continue after disastrous events. There are species that can survive the new environmental conditions or pressures, and thus continue to exist.

Discover what biodiversity is in the following post that we suggest.

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