Defining the speciation continuum
2021/03/23 by Sean Stankowski, Mark Ravinet · 1 voice · 233 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Environmental Science · #Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies #Biology #Ecological speciation #Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies #Evolutionary biology #Genetic algorithm #Genetic diversity and population structure #Incipient speciation #Population #Reproductive isolation #Sociology
paper · pdf · doi:10.1111/evo.14215
published in Evolution 75(6), 1256-1273 (Oxford University Press)
openalex publication_date 2021/03/23 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
Abstract
A primary roadblock to our understanding of speciation is that it usually occurs over a timeframe that is too long to study from start to finish. The idea of a speciation continuum provides something of a solution to this problem; rather than observing the entire process, we can simply reconstruct it from the multitude of speciation events that surround us. But what do we really mean when we talk about the speciation continuum, and can it really help us understand speciation? We explored these questions using a literature review and online survey of speciation researchers. Although most researchers were familiar with the concept and thought it was useful, our survey revealed extensive disagreement about what the speciation continuum actually tells us. This is due partly to the lack of a clear definition. Here, we provide an explicit definition that is compatible with the Biological Species Concept. That is, the speciation continuum is a continuum of reproductive isolation. After outlining the logic of the definition in light of alternatives, we explain why attempts to reconstruct the speciation process from present-day populations will ultimately fail. We then outline how we think the speciation continuum concept can continue to act as a foundation for understanding the continuum of reproductive isolation that surrounds us.
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