isolation

Mechanisms of isolation

Isolating populations is the first step in speciation, reduction in gene flow allows for populations to diverge genetically and phenotypically from one another

Physical isolation

Populations geographically separated from one another; allopatric

Dispersal allopatric speciation

Subset of a population migrates to another existing location and then diverges genetically

Vicariance allopatric speciation

occurs when population is unknowingly seperated by physically barriers such as a new river then creating a new species

Large mutations

Lead to speciation, such as change in number of chromosomes

Amphibians, Ray-finned fishes, Insects,

Polyploidy exhibited a large role in these groups for speciation.

Temporal isolation

occurs when species breed at different times, preventing mating.