IIT Bombay Study Explores Non-Geographic Speciation Mechanisms

May 31, 2024

A major study from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) that was released in NPJ Systems Biology and Applications has shed new light on how sympatric speciation works. Researchers have seen speciation, or the creation of new species, happen even when there are no physical obstacles. This is something that is usually linked to being geographically isolated.

Understanding Speciation

Allopatric speciation is the main way that we understand speciation. This is when physical barriers, like mountains or bodies of water, split populations, which leads to the creation of new species. In contrast, sympatric speciation happens in the same area of land, where there are no such hurdles.

Insights from the IIT Bombay Study

Researchers led by Professor Supreet Saini looked into what causes sympatric speciation by using a genetic-based model that focused on a bird community. The research focused on three important areas:

Disruptive Selection
Sexual Selection
Genetic Architecture

Role of Disruptive Selection

The IIT Bombay study focused on disruptive selection, in which factors like the availability of resources play a big part. Birds with different-sized beaks developed different ways of eating, which reduced competition and led to a variety of traits that were good for survival and breeding.

Impact of Sexual Selection

The study also looked into sexual selection, which is usually thought of as a strong force behind speciation. However, results show that mating choices based on physically observable traits (like beak size) that improve resource utilization were more important in sympatric speciation than was thought before.

Genetic Architecture’s Influence

The genetic architecture, or the genes that control a trait, is very important for the probability of sympatric speciation happening. The study discovered that genetic factors that allow beak sizes to vary could create new species, even with only a small amount of negative selection. Limitations and Directions for Future Research Even though the study made some important discoveries, it does admit that beak size could cause bias in mate selection, which could change over time. The current study aims to create and use lab models, like yeast, to learn more about the problems that come up when sympatry tries to reproduce.

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