sibling species


nounBiology.
  1. one of two or more species that closely resemble one another but whose members cannot interbreed successfully.

Origin of sibling species

1
First recorded in 1940–45

Words Nearby sibling species

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Scientific definitions for sibling species

sibling species

[ sĭblĭng ]


  1. Any of two or more related species that are morphologically nearly identical but are incapable of producing fertile hybrids. Sibling species can only be identified by genetic, biochemical, behavioral, or ecological factors, and are thought to have become divergent very recently.

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