14. Species and Speciation

Principles of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior (EEB 122)

Speciation is the process through which species diverge from each other and/or from a common ancestor. There are several definitions of species, most of which focus on reproductive isolation and/or phylogenetic similarities. This can cause some controversy. Speciation can result from geographical separation or ecological specialization. There are stages of speciation in which organisms cluster first into distinct populations before finally becoming different species.

00:00 - Chapter 1. Introduction
03:38 - Chapter 2. Diversity and How Speciation Happens
17:13 - Chapter 3. Concepts and Criteria of Speciation
26:04 - Chapter 4. The Genetics of Speciation
34:41 - Chapter 5. Mechanics and Examples of Speciation
40:30 - Chapter 6. Experiments, Applications, and Cryptic Species
48:09 - Chapter 7. Summary

Complete course materials are available at the Open Yale Courses website: http://open.yale.edu/courses

This course was recorded in Spring 2009.