Allopatric speciation – also referred to as geographic speciation, vicariant speciation, or its earlier name the dumbbell model – is a mode of speciation that occurs when biological populations become geographically isolated from each other to an extent that prevents or interferes with gene flow.
A female cobalt blue zebra cichlid
Ernst Mayr in 1994
Speciation is the evolutionary process by which populations evolve to become distinct species. The biologist Orator F. Cook coined the term in 1906 for cladogenesis, the splitting of lineages, as opposed to anagenesis, phyletic evolution within lineages. Charles Darwin was the first to describe the role of natural selection in speciation in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species. He also identified sexual selection as a likely mechanism, but found it problematic.
African pygmy kingfisher, showing coloration shared by all adults of that species to a high degree of fidelity.
Cichlids such as Haplochromis nyererei diversified by sympatric speciation in the Rift Valley lakes.
Rhagoletis pomonella, the hawthorn fly, appears to be in the process of sympatric speciation.
Gaur (Indian bison) can interbreed with domestic cattle.