"They seem to only choose to mate with other fish having the same signature waveform as their own
vs
But in the Ivindo River in Gabon, Arnegard and colleagues have found fish with the same DNA emitting distinctly different signals. The fish are likely on the verge of splitting into two species, the researchers announced today.
Is it that people have different criteria for speciation?
From the way things sound, there's already been a speciation event via reproductive isolation. Or does the "official" speciation happen only after the DNA pools between the reproductively isolated groups change "significantly"?
Thanks!
AbE:
The process of splitting one species into two is called speciation. Scientists figure there are two ways it can happen. Groups can become geographically separated and take on new traits as their genes mutate. Or, animals can stay together but for some reason mate selectively to form distinct groups.
My bold.
They do go on to mention that the second type of speciation is "controversial." But it seems the article takes the perspective that that is what's happening here. So it seems to me they should be saying that speciation has occurred.
I'm probably just talking semantics here. But I'm not sure.
Edited by ! ben !, : added final quotation and question