sympatry

sym·pat·ric

S0960200 (sĭm-păt′rĭk)adj.1. Occupying the same or overlapping geographic areas. Used of organisms, especially populations of the same or closely related species.2. Occurring among populations having such a distribution: sympatric speciation.

[syn- + Greek patrā, fatherland (from patēr, patr-, father; see pəter- in Indo-European roots) + -ic.]

sym·pat′ri·cal·ly adv.sym′pat·ry (sĭm′păt′rē, -pə-trē) n.

sympatry

(sɪmˈpætrɪ) n (Biology) the occurrence of sympatric organisms

Thesaurus

Noun

sympatry - the occurrence of organisms in overlapping geographical areas, but without interbreedingoccurrence - an instance of something occurring; "a disease of frequent occurrence"; "the occurrence (or presence) of life on other planets"allopatry - the occurrence of related organisms in separate geographical areas with no overlap

Sympatry

a type of species formation in which new species arise from populations with strongly overlapping or coinciding home ranges. Sympatry is only possible when two forms coexisting within the limits of a common home range or in part of a home range do not interbreed. The opposite case, allopatry, is species formation from populations with nonoverlapping areas. As a rule, allopatry is characteristic of all intraspecific groups; exceptions appear to be seasonal varieties of certain plants and winter and spring strains of many fishes having a common reproduction range, although it is used at different times.

Sympatry is only possible for forms that cannot interbreed, that is, in the case of any type of biological isolation. The concepts “sympatry” and “allopatry” are widely used in the analysis of species-formation processes. The existence of sympatric species often results from allopatric species formation and the subsequent settlement of the home range of one species by individuals of another species. Transitional stages between sympatry and allopatry also exist.

REFERENCES

Timofeev-Resovskii, N. V., A. V. Iablokov, and N. V. Glotov. Ocherk ucheniia opopuliatsii. Moscow, 1973.
Mayr, E. Populiatsii, vidy i evoliutsiia. Moscow, 1974. (Translated from English.)

sympatry

sym·pat·ric

sympatry

Sympatry

Sympatry

REFERENCES

sympatry

Antonyms for sympatry

noun the occurrence of organisms in overlapping geographical areas, but without interbreeding

Related Words

Antonyms