sympatric
Americanadjective
adjective
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Occupying the same or overlapping geographic areas without interbreeding. Although they share the same geographic range, sympatric populations of related organisms become isolated from each other reproductively. This can happen by the development of subpopulations that become dependent on distinct food sources or that evolve distinct seasonal mating behavior. Flowering plants frequently become reproductively isolated through the development of polyploid hybrids (hybrids with three or more sets of chromosomes) that cannot backcross with either parent.
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◆ The development of new species as a result of the reproductive isolation of populations that share the same geographic range is called sympatric speciation.
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Compare allopatric
Other Word Forms
- sympatrically adverb
Etymology
Origin of sympatric
1900–05; sym- + Greek pátr ( ā ) fatherland ( patr-, stem of patḗr father + -ā feminine noun suffix) + -ic
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Vocabulary lists containing sympatric
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.
The process of speciation within the same space is called sympatric speciation; the prefix “sym” means same, so “sympatric” means “same homeland” in contrast to “allopatric” meaning “other homeland.”
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
A number of mechanisms for sympatric speciation have been proposed and studied.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
One such place is Lake Victoria in Africa, famous for its sympatric speciation of cichlid fish.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
One form of sympatric speciation begins with a serious chromosomal error during cell division.
From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022
Smilisca sila and puma are allopatric, whereas S. sordida is broadly sympatric with both of those species.
From Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus Smilisca by Duellman, William E.
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.
