Register | Sign In


Understanding through Discussion


EvC Forum active members: 65 (9162 total)
5 online now:
Newest Member: popoi
Post Volume: Total: 915,819 Year: 3,076/9,624 Month: 921/1,588 Week: 104/223 Day: 2/13 Hour: 0/0


Thread  Details

Email This Thread
Newer Topic | Older Topic
  
Author Topic:   On The Observability of Speciation
Coyote
Member (Idle past 2106 days)
Posts: 6117
Joined: 01-12-2008


Message 3 of 17 (504993)
04-06-2009 9:45 AM
Reply to: Message 1 by AustinG
04-06-2009 2:38 AM


Ring species
How will we recognize speciation? Here is a perfect example from the wild--ring species. I think a few minutes study of ring species should adequately address your specific questions.
Ring species provide unusual and valuable situations in which we can observe two species and the intermediate forms connecting them. In a ring species:
  • A ring of populations encircles an area of unsuitable habitat.
  • At one location in the ring of populations, two distinct forms coexist without interbreeding, and hence are different species.
  • Around the rest of the ring, the traits of one of these species change gradually, through intermediate populations, into the traits of the second species.
A ring species, therefore, is a ring of populations in which there is only one place where two distinct species meet. Ernst Mayr called ring species "the perfect demonstration of speciation" because they show a range of intermediate forms between two species. They allow us to use variation in space to infer how changes occurred over time. This approach is especially powerful when we can reconstruct the biogeographical history of a ring species, as has been done in two cases. [b]Source

Religious belief does not constitute scientific evidence, nor does it convey scientific knowledge.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 1 by AustinG, posted 04-06-2009 2:38 AM AustinG has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 4 by AustinG, posted 04-06-2009 2:56 PM Coyote has not replied

  
Newer Topic | Older Topic
Jump to:


Copyright 2001-2023 by EvC Forum, All Rights Reserved

™ Version 4.2
Innovative software from Qwixotic © 2024