Sympatric Speciation
The evolution of new species from a single ancestral species while living in the same geographic area. Speciation without geographic isolation, typically driven by behavioral or ecological separation.
Biological Context
African cichlids demonstrate sympatric speciation through mate choice—females prefer males with specific coloration, creating reproductive isolation without physical barriers. Apple maggot flies speciated when some individuals shifted to apple trees while others remained on hawthorns. Sympatric speciation is rarer than allopatric but shows that behavior alone can drive divergence.
Business Application
Companies can speciate within the same market through behavioral/brand differentiation. Apple and Microsoft competed in the same geographic and product space but evolved into distinct 'species' serving different customer segments through different approaches.