Abstract

Much progress has been made in the past two decades in understanding Darwin's mystery of the origins of species. Applying genomic techniques to the analysis of laboratory crosses and natural populations has helped to determine the genetic basis of barriers to gene flow which create new species. Although new methodologies have not changed the prevailing hypotheses about how species form, they have accelerated the pace of data collection. By facilitating the compilation of case studies, advances in genetic techniques will help to provide answers to the next generation of questions concerning the relative frequency and importance of different processes that cause speciation.

Author affiliations

1. DCMB Group/Biology Department, Duke University, BOX 91000, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
   Email: noor@duke.edu
2. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Galvin Life Science Center, PO BOX 369, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556-0369, USA.
   Email: jfeder@nd.edu

Published online 3 October 2006

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