Fast speciation:
Speciation can happen fast. (LMZ Putting the genetic brakes on breeding SCIENCE vol. 345 no. 6194 July 18, 2014 page 261 reviewing Zanders et al. eLiofe 10.7554/eLIfe.02630.001(2014)) They say there are several genetic barriers between species. One is “meiotic drive loci.” In two closely related species of yeast three DNA sites from one species blocked chromosomes from the other from forming spores. The conclusion is that speciation can occur rapidly.
Well and good. It’s nice to be validated so far as what I have been saying must happen now they say actually can happen. Somebody’s working on it.
On the other hand I say speciation typically occurs in about 2,000 generations, or at least that’s a number that is consistent with a mass of other data indicating that the species for which that data hold are prevented from going to a mating pool of 1,000. I think most people would say that’s pretty fast.
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