BRAINCAKEAllopatric Speciation
Allopatric speciation is speciation that happens when populations are separated by a geographical barrier. 'Allopatric' means 'different homeland'. It is thought to be the most common way that new animal species form.
The stages are:
1. Separation. A physical barrier divides a population, for example a rising sea level cutting off an island, a river changing course, a mountain range forming, or a few individuals colonising a remote island.
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Key terms in this lesson
- reproductive isolation
- The prevention of gene flow between populations, so they cannot interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
- selection pressure
- An environmental factor that affects the chance of survival and reproduction of organisms with a particular allele or characteristic.
More in Natural Selection
- Antibiotic Resistance
- Preventing Antibiotic Resistance
- Speciation
- Types of Isolation
- Endemic Species
- Desert Pupfish
- Adaptive Radiation
- Sympatric Speciation
All 29 lessons in Natural Selection · All Edexcel AS-level Biology topics