REPRODUCTIVE

ISOLATION AND
SPECIATION
Isolation and speciation
Speciation- the formation of a new species.
1. The isolation of parts of a population. [Reproductive isolation- a collection of
mechanisms, behaviors, and physiological processes that prevent two different
species that mate from producing offspring, or which ensure that any offspring
produced is not fertile. ]
2. Hybridisation (commonly in plants)- the production of offspring that occurs
when populations are physically or geographically separated and there can be no
interbreeding or gene flow between the populations.
GEOGRAPHICAL ISOLATION ECOLOGICAL ISOLATION SEASONAL ISOLATION/
TEMPORAL ISOLATION

ISOLATION MECHANISMS
BEHAVIOURAL ISOLATION MECHANICAL ISOLATION
Geographical Isolation
- Occurs when a geographical barrier prevents
contact and breeding between members of a
population.
- Geographic barriers can include-
▪ Bodies of water
▪ Mountain ranges
▪ Glaciers
▪ Forests
▪ Cities and roads
- Can create reproductive isolation- when isolated
groups come back into contact, they do not
interbreed.
 Ecological Isolation
- Two populations inhabit the same region but develop
preferences for different parts of the habitat.
Seasonal Isolation/ Temporal Isolation
- The timing of flowering/sexual receptiveness in some plants
of a population becomes different from the usual timing for
the group.
- May lead to the two groups reproducing several months
apart.
Behavioral Isolation
- Isolation between population due to differences in courtship
or mating rituals.
- May be due to a mutation that changes the colour or pattern
of markings.
Mechanical Isolation
- Differences in morphological features may make two species
incompatible.
- Eg: flowering plants that do not have a correct shape for the
pollinator will not receive a pollen transfer.
Allopatric Speciation
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• It is the speciation that occurs when populations

are physically or geographically separated and there
can be no interbreeding or gene flow between the
populations.
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Adaptive Radiation
A process by which one species develops rapidly resulting in several different
species which fill different ecological niches.
Australia’s Marsupials And Monotremes Darwin’s Finches
• These finches have specialised beak shapes
depending on their primary source of nutrition (e.g.
seeds, insects, nuts, nectar)
Sympatric Speciation
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• Speciation that occurs between populations of a species in the same place; they
become reproductively separate by mechanical, behavioral or seasonal mechanisms;
gene flow continues between the populations to some extent as speciation occurs.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0TM4LQmoZY
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Population Bottleneck
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The effect of an event or series of events that dramatically reduces the size of a
population, resulting in large changes in allele frequencies and a reduction in
genetic diversity.
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The Founder Effect
The loss of genetic variation that occurs when a small
number of individuals become isolated, forming a
new population with allele frequencies not
representative of the original population.

Founder effect Bottleneck effect

Definition It is a phenomenon that causes genetic drift due to Bottleneck effect is a phenomenon that causes genetic
splitting off a small group from the main drift due to the contraction of the population into a
population to establish a colony. small size as a result of a natural disaster.

Cause Due to the separation of a small group of Due to the destruction of most of the individuals of a
individuals from a large population and population by natural disasters.
colonization.

Natural disasters Not involved Arises due to natural disasters

Population A small group splits off from the main population. Population contracts into a small size as most
individuals are killed by natural disasters.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udZUaNKXbJA
THANK YOU