Final answer:
Speciation leads to the formation of a new species through evolutionary processes such as natural selection and reproductive isolation. It is confirmed when once similar species can no longer mate and produce fertile offspring. Key mechanisms include allopatric and sympatric speciation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Speciation occurs when organisms develop into a new species through a process of evolution. This can happen due to various factors, such as geographic isolation (allopatric speciation) or behavioral changes (sympatric speciation), leading to reproductive isolation. Once species diverge sufficiently, they may no longer be able to mate and produce fertile offspring, which is a key indicator of speciation.
Natural selection plays a crucial role in this process by favoring advantageous traits that provide survival benefits in an environment, leading to microevolution within a population. Over time, these changes can accumulate, resulting in macroevolution, and ultimately leading to the formation of new species with unique characteristics.
Hybrid zones may exist where closely related species can still interact and mate, producing hybrids. The fitness of these hybrids can affect the evolutionary paths of the species, potentially leading to reinforcement, fusion, or stability of the new species.