Speciation is the process by which one lineage splits into two separate species as a result of selective pressures as well as due to evolution by natural selection. This process can occur under two broad categories of allopatric or sympatric, each leading to the outcome of speciation through two distinct mechanisms. Allopatric speciation occurs as a result of the geographic splitting of one species traditional range whether it be by a river, mountain range, canyon or human development like highways and canals. Sympatric speciation occurs when two different species arise within the same habitat with no geographical separation between the two. This process can occur as a result of the presence of an unfulfilled ecological niche which once filled leads to a split in the behaviour and breeding habits within one species, eventually leading to two new species through genetic isolation of the two populations.
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