How Prezygotic Isolation Promotes Sympatric Dioecious Figs
A new study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B found that prezygotic isolation mechanisms in dioecious figs can lead to complete sympatric speciation. Sympatric speciation is a process in which two species diverge without geographic separation – a rare and fascinating occurrence. The study found that the male and female figs of the same species, while living in the same area, had prezygotic isolation mechanisms that prevented them from interbreeding. This implies that complete sympatric speciation is possible.
The researchers studied two species of figs in the genus Ficus, Ficus septica and Ficus tinctoria, which are found in India and the Western Ghats. They found that the male and female flowers of both species had different pollination times, which prevented them from interbreeding. Additionally, the male and female flowers of each species were differently shaped, preventing the flowers of one species from being able to fit on the other species. These two prezygotic isolation mechanisms indicate that sympatric speciation has occurred in these figs.
source: Phys.org