I love ring species. They are a great example of how a species varies within itself and comes to a point of inability to interbreed with members of the original population, but are still that same species. They most likely lose the ability to interbreed simply because of a genetic mismatch after so many population splits with decreasing genetic diversity. It is one of my most favorite examples for how "evolution defeats evolution:" the populations are evolving from one to another around the ring, developing new phenotypes and losing genetic diversity as they go. This could be a version of the laboratory experiment I mentioned. I know it's claimed they don't lose genetic diversity but they have to. It has to be the reason for the genetic mismatch when the two ends of the ring meet.
Oh and it doesn't take millions of years. Maybe a hundred.
Edited by Faith, : No reason given.
Edited by Faith, : No reason given.
Edited by Faith, : No reason given.