Environmental Heterogeneity and Phenotypic Divergence: Can Heritable Epigenetic Variation Aid Speciation?

Figure 1

Putative relationships between populations of closely related alternative types (here exemplified with altitudinal differentiation), which lack apparent genome-wide divergence. Below the reflection of the relationships in hypothetical phylogenies is given. Left, single origin of each type, followed by dispersal to other geographical areas. Right, recurrent evolution of the types in several geographic regions under environmental influence.