What process, often involving geographic barriers like mountain ranges, leads to reproductive divergence, such as populations evolving different ploidy levels in *Lepidophyma*?
Answer
Allopatric speciation
Allopatric speciation is the key model explaining diversification when populations become geographically isolated, such as by rivers or mountain ranges, which restricts gene flow. In the context of *Lepidophyma*, this isolation allows separate populations to evolve divergent reproductive modes—for example, one becoming strictly asexual via polyploidy while another remains sexual diploid. This divergence solidifies reproductive isolation between the groups, ensuring they form distinct evolutionary trajectories even if the geographical barrier is eventually removed.
Related Questions
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