Chance, the first trigger of evolution
Divergence – Three models could theoretically explain these small differences between closely related species.
How did life on Earth become so rich and diverse? How did species gradually derive from a single common ancestor? The mechanisms driving this phenomenon, known as speciation, still raise questions for evolutionary biologists. Several hypotheses coexist, but one A Canadian study published in the journal science It sheds new light.
Contrary to the prevailing hypothesis, selective pressure, that is, evolution under environmental constraints, is not the main driving force driving two species to differentiate. Originally, this speciation was above all the result of geographical separation and the accumulation of random genetic mutations in each group.
Accumulation of random genetic mutations
One of the major difficulties in understanding speciation lies in the precise definition of the concept of species. It all depends on the question you ask yourself.sums up Robin Aguilée, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Toulouse-3
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