Speciation and Forming New Species Flashcards

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In biology, what does the word 'species' mean?

A species is a group of living things that can breed together to produce fertile (also able to breed) offspring.

What is speciation?

Speciation is the process by which one original species splits into two or more new species over many generations.

Why is genetic variation important for speciation?

Genetic variation means individuals in a population are not all the same. It gives different features that natural selection can act on, so separated groups can change in different ways.

What is meant by isolation in speciation?

Isolation is when groups of the same species are kept apart so they cannot breed with each other, for example by distance or a physical barrier.

Give two examples of physical barriers that could isolate populations of a species.

Examples include a river or a mountain range separating the groups.

After isolation, how can natural selection make two populations more different?

Each population faces different conditions. The best adapted individuals in each place survive and breed, so over time each group builds up different useful features.

What is reproductive isolation?

Reproductive isolation is when two groups cannot successfully breed together to produce fertile offspring.

How do you know when speciation is complete?

Speciation is complete when the separate populations can no longer interbreed to produce fertile offspring, so they are now different species.

Why does forming a new species usually take a very long time?

It needs many mutations and many rounds of natural selection, which happen over many generations, often taking thousands or millions of years.

What are the main stages in the formation of a new species?

First, there is genetic variation in a species. Then a barrier isolates groups. Different mutations and natural selection change each group. In time they become so different they cannot breed together, so new species have formed.

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