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Sympatric Speciation in the Post “Modern Synthesis” Era of Evolutionary Biology

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Abstract

Sympatric speciation is among the most controversial and challenging concepts in evolution. There are a multitude of definitions of speciation alone, and when combined with the biogeographic concept of sympatric range overlap, consensus on what sympatric speciation is, whether it happens, and its importance, is even more difficult to achieve. Providing the basis upon which to define and judge sympatric speciation, the Modern Evolutionary Synthesis (Huxley in Evolution: the modern synthesis. MIT Press, Cambridge, 1942) led to the conclusion that sympatric speciation is an inconsequential process in the generation of species diversity. In the post Modern Synthesis era of evolutionary biology, the PCR revolution and associated accumulation of DNA sequence data from natural populations has led to a resurgence of interest in sympatric speciation, and more importantly, the role of natural selection in lineage diversification. Much effort is currently being devoted to elucidating the processes by which the constituents of an initially panmictic population can become reproductively isolated and evolve some level of reproductive incompatibility without the complete cessation of gene flow due to geographic barriers. The evolution of reproductive isolation solely due to natural selection is perhaps the most controversial manner by which sympatric speciation occurs, and it is that which we focus upon in this review. Mathematical model simulations indicate that even strict definitions of sympatric speciation are possible to satisfy, empirical data consistent with sympatric divergence are accumulating, but irrefutable evidence of sympatric speciation in natural populations remains elusive. Genomic investigations are advancing our ability to identify genetic patterns caused by natural selection, thereby advancing our understanding of the power of natural selection relative to gene flow. Overall, sympatric lineage divergence, especially at the sub-species level, may have led to a substantial portion of biodiversity.

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Acknowledgments

For intellectual discussions that motivated and significantly improved this manuscript, we would like to thank Stephen Karl, Brian Bowen, Richard Grosberg, Luiz Rocha, Matthew Craig, Jonathan Whitney, Maria Pia Miglietta, Anuschka Faucci, Francesco Santini, Giacomo Bernardi, Michael Hart, Bernard Crespi, Stephen Palumbi, John Geller, Steven Morgan, Rosemary Gillespi, George Roderick, Nina Yasuda, Gustav Paulay, Christopher Meyer, Harilaos Lessios, the SICB marine speciation group, and audiences at U. C. Davis, U. C. Berkeley, U. C. Santa Cruz, U. C. Davis’ Bodega Bay Marine Laboratory, Cal. State’s Moss Landing Marine Laboratory, Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Laboratory, Simon Frasier University, University of Connecticut, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Florida International University, and the University of Hawai’i. We also thank the efforts of two anonymous reviewers that helped to substantially improved this manuscript. CEB was funded by a grant from the Seaver Institute, the Hawai’i Sea Grant College Program, and the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. This is publication number 1491 from the Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology, 8604 from the School of Ocean, Earth Sciences and Technology at the University of Hawai’i, and XXXX from the Marine Biology Program at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

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  1. Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, 6300 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, TX, 78412, USA

    Christopher E. Bird

  2. Hawai’i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai’i, P.O. Box 1346, Kāne’ohe, HI, 96744, USA

    Christopher E. Bird, Iria Fernandez-Silva, Derek J. Skillings & Robert J. Toonen

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Bird, C.E., Fernandez-Silva, I., Skillings, D.J. et al. Sympatric Speciation in the Post “Modern Synthesis” Era of Evolutionary Biology. Evol Biol 39, 158–180 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11692-012-9183-6

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