sibling species
nounBiology.
one of two or more species that closely resemble one another but whose members cannot interbreed successfully.
Origin of sibling species
1First recorded in 1940–45
Words Nearby sibling species
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
Scientific definitions for sibling species
sibling species
[ sĭb′lĭng ]
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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