biology

Adaptive radiation is a process of evolution that occurs when species adapt to their environments and radiate from a single ancestor species into many distinct species, often adapted to different niches. Polyploidy is a process of evolution involving the doubling of an organism’s chromosome set, producing a unique form of species that are often adapted to different kinds of environments than the original parent species. Sexual selection is a form of natural selection that occurs when an organism’s reproductive success is determined by its ability to attract a mate or successfully reproduce. Allopatric speciation occurs when a geographic barrier creates two populations of the same species that cannot interbreed, and each population evolves independently, eventually becoming two distinct species. Sympatric speciation is a form of speciation that occurs in the same geographic location, often caused by a new mutation or some kind of adaptation. All of these topics are related to speciation because they represent different ways in which two distinct, non-interbreeding species can evolve from one original ancestor species. Adaptive radiation is an example of how speciation can occur as populations fill different niches in the environment. Polyploidy can create a species that is distinct from its parent, allowing it to occupy a different niche and mate with other polyploidy species. Sexual selection is an example of how the selection of mating partners can contribute to the emergence of new species. Allopatric and sympatric speciation