Speciation

Speciation is the event of the creation of a new species as the result of one species separating into two in a process known as evolution.

Generally this occurs when a parent species splits into two populations, perhaps separated by geography, each of which then accumulates changes from sexual reproduction and random mutation until the two populations are no longer capable of interbreeding. The exact mechanism of this process is the subject of some debate. Some biologists, such as Stephen Jay Gould, have argued that species generally remain static over long stretches of time, with speciation occuring rapidly in a process called Punctuated Equilibrium. Others have argued that speciation is simply the gradual accumulation of incremental changes over time.

In rare cases among lower forms of life such as bacteria, single mutations can cause drastic changes (called "saltation") that can result in speciation in a very short time.

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