sibling species

American  

noun

Biology.

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

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sibling species Scientific  

/ sĭb′lĭng /

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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Etymology

Origin of sibling species

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Early studies suggest there are significant numbers of undescribed species that looked too much like sibling species to previously be recognized as different.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Colour pattern is important in mating behaviour in Heliconius, and the transfer of mimetic pattern may have enabled the divergent sibling species to coexist with H. pardalinus across the Amazon basin.

From Nature • Jul. 4, 2012

A sibling species group of Hydractinia in the north-eastern United States.

From Scientific American • Apr. 20, 2012