allopatric
Americanadjective
adjective
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Occurring in separate, nonoverlapping geographic areas. Allopatric populations of related organisms are unable to interbreed because of geographic separation.
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◆ The development of new species as a result of the geographic separation of populations is called allopatric speciation.
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Compare sympatric
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of allopatric
1940–45; allo- + Greek patr ( ía ) fatherland ( patḗr father + -ia noun suffix) + -ic
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Vocabulary lists containing allopatric
Animals (Zoology) - Middle School
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Evolutionary Biology - High School
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Animals (Zoology) - High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Which situation would most likely lead to allopatric speciation?
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
The students suggested these factors: natural selection, morphological mutations, punctuated equilibrium and allopatric speciation.
From Washington Post • Feb. 20, 2022
Perhaps the title should have something to do with allopatric speciation as well as just the numbers of the pigeons.
From New York Times • Nov. 16, 2017
One leads to allopatric speciation, whereas the other leads to sympatric speciation.
From Textbooks • Apr. 25, 2013
The majority of the species are allopatric and differ primarily in color patterns.
From A Taxonomic Revision of the Leptodactylid Frog Genus Syrrhophus Cope by Lynch, John D.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
