What is the Difference Between Dispersal and Vicariance?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚Dispersal and vicariance are two biogeographic processes that cause the disjunct distribution of populations. They both lead to the isolation of a population by a geographic barrier, but they differ in the way the separation occurs:
- Dispersal: This process involves the migration of a part of a population across a preexisting geographical barrier. It is an active process in which organisms actively change their distributions by moving to new geographical areas. Dispersal can lead to the formation of new species as gene flow between the isolated populations becomes improbable, and the differences between their alleles become more pronounced.
- Vicariance: In contrast, vicariance occurs when a new geographical barrier appears, dividing the population. This barrier may be due to natural events such as the formation of a new lake, mountains, or other geographical features. As a result, gene flow between the populations on either side of the barrier is limited or completely prevented, leading to the differentiation of distinct but related species.
In summary, the main difference between dispersal and vicariance lies in the way the geographic separation occurs. Dispersal is the active migration of organisms across preexisting barriers, while vicariance involves the appearance of a new geographical barrier that divides the population. Both processes can lead to allopatric speciation, where a single species gives rise to multiple new species due to geographical isolation.
Comparative Table: Dispersal vs Vicariance
The main difference between dispersal and vicariance lies in the way populations become separated and the type of speciation they lead to. Here is a table comparing the two processes:
Feature | Dispersal | Vicariance |
---|---|---|
Definition | Dispersal refers to the movement of organisms from their breeding site to a new geographical location. | Vicariance refers to the division of a population into distinct but related species due to a geographical barrier. |
Process | Population separation occurs when a part of the population migrates across a preexisting geographical barrier into a new region. | Population separation occurs due to the appearance of a new geographical barrier that separates the population. |
Speciation | Dispersal can lead to allopatric speciation when populations become reproductively isolated due to geographical distance. | Vicariance can lead to sympatric speciation, where populations living in the same area become reproductively isolated due to a change in the environment. |
In summary, dispersal involves the movement of organisms to new locations, while vicariance involves the division of a population by a geographical barrier. Dispersal typically leads to allopatric speciation, whereas vicariance can lead to sympatric speciation.
- Allopatric vs Peripatric Speciation
- Active vs Passive Dispersal
- Dispersion vs Diffusion
- Evolution vs Speciation
- Parapatric vs Sympatric Speciation
- Allopatric vs Sympatric Speciation
- Dissolution vs Disintegration
- Distance vs Displacement
- Dispersion vs Scattering of Light
- Geographic vs Reproductive Isolation
- Diaspora vs Migration
- Convergent vs Divergent Evolution
- Dispersion vs Skewness
- Zonation vs Succession
- Extinction vs Extirpation
- Dispersed Phase vs Dispersion Medium
- Genetic Diversity vs Species Diversity
- Dipole Dipole vs Dispersion
- Adaptive Radiation vs Divergent Evolution