Definition

1. Adjective:
   • (Biology) Occurring in separate, geographically isolated areas: Used to describe biological species or populations that live in different geographic regions, separated by physical barriers that prevent interbreeding.
   • (Biology) Relating to allopatric speciation: Pertaining to the process by which new species evolve from a single ancestral species while inhabiting different geographic areas.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The two allopatric populations of finches evolved different beak shapes due to their isolation on separate islands.
  • Allopatric speciation is a common mode of evolution, driven by geographic barriers like mountains or rivers.

Advanced Usage

• "Allopatric distribution": The geographic occurrence of related species or populations in separate, non-overlapping areas.

  • The allopatric distribution of the two frog species suggests they diverged after their habitat was split by a rising mountain range.

• "Allopatric divergence": The evolutionary differentiation that occurs between populations that are geographically separated.

  • Genetic studies show clear signs of allopatric divergence between the northern and southern subspecies.

Variants and Related Words

• Allopatry (n): The state of existing in separate, non-overlapping geographic areas.

  • Allopatry is a key condition for allopatric speciation to occur.

• Allopatrically (adv): In an allopatric manner.

  • The species are distributed allopatrically across the continent.

Synonyms

• Geographically isolated: Separated by physical geography.
• Vicariant: (In biogeography) Referring to populations separated by a geographic barrier.

Antonyms

• Sympatric: (Of biological species) occurring in the same or overlapping geographic areas.
• Parapatric: (Of biological species) occurring in adjacent geographic areas with a narrow zone of contact.

Adjective

1. (of biological species or speciation) occurring in areas isolated geographically from one another