Changes

'''Sympatric speciation''', unlike [[allopatric speciation]], does not require large-scale geographic distance to reduce gene flow between parts of a population. Merely exploiting a new niche may automatically reduce [[gene]] flow with individuals exploiting the other niche. This may occasionally happen when, for example, herbivorous insects try out a new host plant. Sympatric speciation has never been observed in the real world.

'''Sympatric speciation''', unlike [[allopatric speciation]], does not require large-scale geographic distance to reduce gene flow between parts of a population. Merely exploiting a new niche may automatically reduce [[gene]] flow with individuals exploiting the other niche. This may occasionally happen when, for example, herbivorous insects try out a new host plant. The question of whether speciation can occur in sympatry has been among the most contentious in evolutionary biology. In recent years a growing number of studies have provided empirical evidence that it has occurred <ref> 

Barluenga, M et al Sympatric speciation in Nicaraguan crater lake cichlid ''Nature''439:719</ref><ref> Savolainen, V. et al. Sympatric speciation in palms on an oceanic island ''Nature''441, 210 - 2130</ref>

 

[[Category:Evolution]]

[[Category:Evolution]]