BRAINCAKEEndemic Species
An endemic species is a species that is found naturally in only one geographical area and nowhere else in the world. The area may be an island, a lake, a mountain range or a single country. For example, the kiwi is endemic to New Zealand and lemurs are endemic to Madagascar.
Endemic species are closely linked to speciation, especially allopatric speciation. When a population is geographically isolated for a long time, it follows its own evolutionary path:
1. The isolated population has no gene flow with populations elsewhere.
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Key terms in this lesson
- allopatric speciation
- The formation of a new species when populations are separated by a geographical barrier, so gene flow between them stops.
More in Natural Selection
- Preventing Antibiotic Resistance
- Speciation
- Types of Isolation
- Allopatric Speciation
- Desert Pupfish
- Adaptive Radiation
- Sympatric Speciation
- Howea Palm Tree
All 29 lessons in Natural Selection · All Edexcel AS-level Biology topics