How did life on Earth become so rich and diverse?
How did species gradually derive from a single common ancestor?
The mechanisms that drive this phenomenon, known as “speciation”, are still questioning evolutionary biologists.
Several hypotheses coexist, but a Canadian study published in the journal
Science
sheds new light.
Contrary to the dominant hypothesis, selective pressure, that is to say evolution under environmental constraint, is not the main driving force pushing two species to differentiate.
Originally, this speciation would above all be the consequence of geographical separation and the accumulation of random genetic mutations in each of the groups.
Accumulation of random genetic mutations
One of the main difficulties in understanding speciation lies in the very definition of the concept of species.
"It all depends on the question we are asking
," summarizes Robin Aguilée, evolutionary biologist at the University of Toulouse-3.
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