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19.1 On the Road To Speciation Species means "kind," as in "a particular kind of duck." Through the history of any species, micro evolutionary processes have been introducing changes in the gene pools of its populations. Remember, particular alleles give rise to the heritable traits of populations. As an outcome of mutation, genetic drift, gene flow, and natural selection, different alleles can increase or decrease in frequency, or even disappear over time. Given the variation in …

…the history of most lineages. Adaptive Radiations a. An adaptive radiations is a burst of microevolutionary activity within a lineage, one that results in the formation of new species in a wide range of habitats. Lineages often spread out this way when their members are presented with unfilled adaptive zones. Adaptive zones are most easily defined as ways of life, such as "burrowing in the sea floor" or "catching insect in the air at night."