Definition
noun
A speciation in which the zones of two diverging populations are only partially separated that the species may still come in contact or cross the barrier from time to time, until selection for specific behaviours or certain isolating mechanisms will eventually prevent them from interbreeding.
Supplement
This speciation is exemplified by the Ensatina salamanders, which form a ring round the Central Valley in California.
Word origin: Gk para-, comb. form repr. pará (prep.) beside, alongside of, by, beyond + Greek patrā, fatherland.
Compare: allopatric speciation, peripatric speciation, sympatric speciation.
See also: speciation, genetic isolation.
Dictionary > Parapatric speciation
You will also like...

New Zealand’s Unique Fauna
Meet some of New Zealand's unique fauna, including endemic insects, frogs, reptiles, birds, and mammals, and investigate..

Genetics – Lesson Outline & Worksheets
Topics Modules Quizzes/Worksheets Description Introduction to Genetics Genetics – Definition: Heredity and ..

The Gene Pool and Population Genetics
According to Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection, preferable genes are favored by nature in the gene pool, and ..

Principles of Hormonal Control Systems
Hormones are essential in the regulation of the activity of the various biological systems of the human body. The ineffi..

The Dinosaurs
Dinosaurs represented a major turn in the evolutionary development of organisms on Earth. The first dinosaurs were presu..

Neurology of Illusions
Illusions are the perceptions and sensory data obtained from situations in which human error prevents us from seeing the..