Occurring in different geographic areas or regions, especially referring to populations of the same species that are geographically separated and cannot interbreed.
From Greek 'allo-' (other) and 'patris' (fatherland, native land). Darwin's work on geographic isolation led to formalization of this term in evolutionary biology in the 20th century.
Darwin's finches on different Galápagos islands are the classic example of allopatric populations—separated by ocean, they evolved into distinct species over time, which is why allopatric speciation is considered one of the primary engines of evolution on Earth.
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