It has been suggested that laboratory experiments are not conducive to vicariant speciation events (allopatric and peripatric) due to their small population sizes and limited generations.[2] Most estimates from studies of nature indicate that speciation takes hundreds of thousands to millions of years.[3] On the other hand, many species are thought to have speciated faster and more recently, such as the European flounders (Platichthys flesus) that spawn in pelagic and demersal zones—having allopatrically speciated in under 3000 generations.[4]
Six publications have attempted to compile, review, and analyze the experimental research on speciation:
John Ringo, David Wood, Robert Rockwell, and Harold Dowse in 1985;[5]
The table summarizes the studies and data reviewed in these publications. It also references several contemporary experiments and is non-exhaustive.
In the table, multiple numbers separated by semi-colons in the generations column indicate that multiple experiments were conducted. The replications (in parentheses) indicates the number of populations used in the experiments—i.e. how many times the experiment was replicated.
Various types of selection have been imposed on experimental populations and are indicated by the selection type column. Negative or positive results of each experiment are provided by the reproductive isolation column.
Pre-zygotic reproductive isolation means that the reproducing individuals in the populations were unable to produce offspring (effectively a positive result).
Post-zygotic isolation means that the reproducing individuals were able to produce offspring but they were either sterile or inviable (a positive result as well).
Negative results are indicated by "none"—that is, the experiments did not result in reproductive isolation.
Florin, Ann-Britt & Ödeen, Anders (2002), "Laboratory environments are not conducive for allopatric speciation", Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 15 (1): 10–19, doi:10.1046/j.1420-9101.2002.00356.x{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Ringo, John; Wood, David; Rockwell, Robert; Dowse, Harold (1985), "An Experiment Testing Two Hypotheses of Speciation", The American Naturalist, 126 (5): 642–661, doi:10.1086/284445, S2CID84819968
Kirkpatrick, Mark & Ravigné, Virginie (2002), "Speciation by Natural and Sexual Selection: Models and Experiments", The American Naturalist, 159: S22–S35, doi:10.1086/338370, PMID18707367, S2CID16516804{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Fry, James D. (2009). Laboratory Experiments on Speciation. In Garland, Theodore & Rose, Michael R. "Experimental Evolution: Concepts, Methods, and Applications of Selection Experiments". Pp. 631–656. doi:10.1525/california/9780520247666.003.0020
Grant, B. S. & Mettler, L. E. (1969), "Disruptive and stabilizing selection on the" escape" behavior of Drosophila melanogaster", Genetics, 62 (3): 625–637, doi:10.1093/genetics/62.3.625, PMC1212303, PMID17248452{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Burnet, B. & Connolly, K. (1974). Activity and sexual behavior in Drosophila melanogaster. In Abeelen, J. H. V. F. (eds). The Genetics of Behaviour. North-Holland, Amsterdam. Pp. 201–258.
Kilias, G., Alahiotis, S. N., & Pelecanos, M. (1980), "A Multifactorial Genetic Investigation of Speciation Theory Using Drosophila melanogaster", Evolution, 34 (4): 730–737, doi:10.2307/2408027, JSTOR2408027, PMID28563991{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Boake, C. R. B., Mcdonald, K., Maitra, S., Ganguly, R. (2003), "Forty years of solitude: life-history divergence and behavioural isolation between laboratory lines of Drosophila melanogaster", Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 16 (1): 83–90, doi:10.1046/j.1420-9101.2003.00505.x, PMID14635883{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Barker, J. S. F. & Karlsson, L. J. E. (1974), "Effects of population size and selection intensity on responses to disruptive selection in Drosophila melanogaster", Genetics, 78 (2): 715–735, doi:10.2307/2407287, JSTOR2407287, PMC1213230, PMID4217303{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Crossley, Stella A. (1974), "Changes in Mating Behavior Produced by Selection for Ethological Isolation Between Ebony and Vestigial Mutants of Drosophila melanogaster", Evolution, 28 (4): 631–647, doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1974.tb00795.x, PMID28564833, S2CID35867118
van Dijken, F. R. & Scharloo, W. (1979), "Divergent selection on locomotor activity in Drosophila melanogaster. I. Selection response", Behavior Genetics, 9 (6): 543–553, doi:10.1007/BF01067350, PMID122270, S2CID39352792{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
van Dijken, F. R. & Scharloo, W. (1979), "Divergent selection on locomotor activity in Drosophila melanogaster. II. Test for reproductive isolation between selected lines", Behavior Genetics, 9 (6): 555–561, doi:10.1007/BF01067351, PMID122271, S2CID40169222{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Wallace, B. (1953), "Genetic divergence of isolated populations of Drosophila melanogaster", Proceedings of the Ninth International Congress of Genetics, 9: 761–764
Knight, G. R., Robertson, Alan, & Waddington, C. H. (1956), "Selection for sexual isolation within a species", Evolution, 10 (1): 14–22, doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1956.tb02825.x{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Robertson, Forbes W. (1966), "The ecological genetics of growth in Drosophila 8. Adaptation to a New Diet", Genetical Research, 8 (2): 165–179, doi:10.1017/S0016672300010028, PMID5922517
Koref Santibañez, S. & Waddington, C. H. (1958), "The origin of sexual isolation between different lines within a species", Evolution, 12 (4): 485–493, doi:10.2307/2405959, JSTOR2405959{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Barker, J. S. F. & Cummins, L. J. (1969), "The effect of selection for sternopleural bristle number in mating behaviour in Drosophila melanogaster", Genetics, 61 (3): 713–719, doi:10.1093/genetics/61.3.713, PMC1212235, PMID17248436{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Mooers, Arne Ø., Rundle, Howard D. & Whitlock, Michael C. (1999), "The effects of selection and bottlenecks on male mating success in peripheral isolates", American Naturalist, 153 (4): 437–444, doi:10.1086/303186, PMID29586617, S2CID4411105{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Thoday, J. M. & Gibson, J. B. (1970), "The probability of isolation by disruptive selection", Nature, 104 (937): 219–230, doi:10.1086/282656, S2CID85333360{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Scharloo, W. (1971), "Reproductive isolation by disruptive selection: Did it occur?", American Naturalist, 105 (941): 83–86, doi:10.1086/282706, S2CID84204545
Spiess, E. B. & Wilke, C. M. (1984), "Still another attempt to achieve assortive mating by disruptive selection in Drosophila", Evolution, 38 (3): 505–515, doi:10.2307/2408700, JSTOR2408700, PMID28555983{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Ehrman, Lee (1971), "Natural selection and the origin of reproductive isolation", American Naturalist, 105 (945): 479–483, doi:10.1086/282739, S2CID85401244
Ehrman, Lee (1973), "More on natural selection and the origin of reproductive isolation", American Naturalist, 107 (954): 318–319, doi:10.1086/282835, S2CID83780632
Ehrman, Lee (1979), "Still more on natural selection and the origin of reproductive isolation", American Naturalist, 113 (1): 148–150, doi:10.1086/283371, S2CID85237458
Ehrman, Lee (1983), "Fourth report on natural selection for the origin of reproductive isolation", American Naturalist, 121 (2): 290–293, doi:10.1086/284059, S2CID83654887
Chabora, Alice J. (1968), "Disruptive selection for sternopleural chaeta number in various strains of Drosophila melanogaster", American Naturalist, 102 (928): 525–532, doi:10.1086/282565, S2CID84885812
Scharloo, W., Hoogmoed, M. S. & Kuile, A. T. (1967), "Stabilizing and disruptive selection on a mutant character in Drosophila. I. The phenotypic variance and its components.", Genetics, 56 (4): 709–726, doi:10.1093/genetics/56.4.709, PMC1211648, PMID6061662{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Coyne, Jerry A. & and Grant, Bruce (1972), "Disruptive selection on I-maze activity in Drosophila melanogaster", Genetics, 71 (1): 185–188, doi:10.1093/genetics/71.1.185, PMC1212770, PMID17248572{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Rice, W. R. (1985), "Disruptive selection on habitat preference and the evolution of reproductive isolation: an exploratory experiment", Evolution, 39 (3): 645–656, doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1985.tb00401.x, PMID28561974
Rice, William R. & Salt, George, W. (1988), "Speciation via disruptive selection on habitat preference", American Naturalist, 131 (6): 911–917, doi:10.1086/284831, S2CID84876223{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Rice, William R. & Salt, George, W. (1990), "The evolution of reproductive isolation as a correlated character under sympatric conditions: experimental evidence", Evolution, 44 (5): 1140–1152, doi:10.2307/2409278, JSTOR2409278, PMID28563894{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Wallace, B. (1982), "Drosophila melanogaster populations selected for resistances to NaCl and CuSO4 in both allopatry and sympatry", Journal of Heredity, 73 (1): 35–42, doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a109572, PMID6802898
Ehrman, Lee, White, Marney A. & Wallace, B. (1991). A long-term study involving Drosophila melanogaster and toxic media. In Hecht, M. K., Wallace, B., & Maclntyre, R. J. (eds). Evolutionary biology, vol. 25. Plenum Press, New York. Pp. 175–209
Fukatami, A & Moriwaki, D. (1970), "Selection for sexual isolation in Drosophila melanogaster by a modification of Koopman's method", The Japanese Journal of Genetics, 45 (3): 193–204, doi:10.1266/jjg.45.193{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Dobzhansky, Theodosius & Pavlovsky, O. (1966), "Spontaneous origin of an incipient species in the Drosophila paulistorum complex", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 55 (4): 723–733, Bibcode:1966PNAS...55..727D, doi:10.1073/pnas.55.4.727, PMC224220, PMID5219677{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
de Oliveira, Alice Kalisz & Cordeiro, Antonio Rodrigues (1980), "Adaptation of Drosophila willistoni experimental populations to extreme pH medium", Heredity, 44: 123–130, doi:10.1038/hdy.1980.11{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Dodd, Diane M. B. (1989), "Reproductive Isolation as a Consequence of Adaptive Divergence in Drosophila pseudoobscura", Evolution, 43 (6): 1308–1311, doi:10.2307/2409365, JSTOR2409365, PMID28564510
Ehrman, Lee (1964), "Genetic divergence in M. Vetukhiv's experimental populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura 1. Rudiments of sexual isolation", Genetical Research, 5: 150–157, doi:10.1017/S0016672300001099
Anderson, Wyatt, W. (1966), "Genetic divergence in M. Vetukhiv's experimental populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura 3. Divergence in Body Size", Genetical Research, 7 (2): 255–266, doi:10.1017/S0016672300009666{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Ehrman, Lee (1969), "Genetic divergence in M. Vetukhiv's experimental populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura. 5. A further study of rudiments of sexual isolation", American Midland Naturalist, 82 (1): 272–276, doi:10.2307/2423835, JSTOR2423835
del Solar, Eduardo (1966), "Sexual isolation caused by selection for positive and negative phototaxis and geotaxis in Drosophila pseudoobscura", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 56 (2): 484–487, doi:10.1073/pnas.56.2.484, PMC224398, PMID5229969
Dodd, Diane M. B. & Powell, Jeffrey R. (1985), "Founder-Flush Speciation: An Update of Experimental Results with Drosophila", Evolution, 39 (6): 1388–1392, doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1985.tb05704.x, PMID28564258{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Galiana, Augustí, Moya, Andres & Ayala, Francisco J. (1993), "Founder-flush speciation in Drosophila pseudoobscura: a large scale experiment", Evolution, 47 (2): 432–444, doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.1993.tb02104.x, PMID28568735{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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Koopman, Karl F. (1950), "Natural Selection for Reproductive Isolation Between Drosophila pseudoobscura and Drosophila persimilis", Evolution, 4 (2): 135–148, doi:10.2307/2405390, JSTOR2405390
Kessler, Seymour (1966), "Selection For and Against Ethological Isolation Between Drosophila pseudoobscura and Drosophila persimilis", Evolution, 20 (4): 634–645, doi:10.2307/2406597, JSTOR2406597, PMID28562900
Koepfer, H. Roberta (1987), "Selection for Sexual Isolation Between Geographic Forms of Drosophila mojavensis. I Interactions Between the Selected Forms", Evolution, 41 (1): 37–48, doi:10.2307/2408971, JSTOR2408971, PMID28563762
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Wigby, S. & Chapman, T. (2006), "No evidence that experimental manipulation of sexual conflict drives premating reproductive isolation in Drosophila melanogaster", Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 19 (4): 1033–1039, doi:10.1111/j.1420-9101.2006.01107.x, PMID16780504{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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Fry, James D. (1999), "The role of adaptation to host plants in the evolution of reproductive isolation: Negative evidence from Tetranychus urticae Koch", Experimental & Applied Acarology, 23 (5): 379–387, doi:10.1023/A:1006245711950, hdl:2027.42/41783, S2CID2329637
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