Back to Hub/6 Inheritance, Variation and Evolution/6.3 The development of understanding of genetics and evolution

6.3.2: Speciation (biology only)

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Alfred Russel Wallace independently proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection.

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Wallace published joint writings with Darwin in 1858, prompting Darwin to publish On the Origin of Species in 1859.

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Wallace worked worldwide gathering evidence for evolutionary theory.

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Wallace is best known for his work on warning colouration in animals and his theory of speciation.

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Alfred Wallace did much pioneering work on speciation.

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More evidence over time has led to our current understanding of the theory of speciation.

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Speciation can happen when populations of one species become so different that they can no longer interbreed to produce fertile offspring.

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Speciation example: two isolated populations experience different selection pressures, so different phenotypes become common over many generations.

Common exam mistakes

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Speciation requires populations to become unable to interbreed to produce fertile offspring.

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Populations looking different is not enough on its own; reproductive isolation is the key end point.

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Wallace independently proposed evolution by natural selection, so do not credit only Darwin for the idea.

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Wallace is linked with warning colouration in animals and the theory of speciation.

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When explaining speciation, include isolation, different selection pressures, and accumulation of genetic differences.

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