Speciation is often portrayed as an “incomplete” or “incipient” process if two groups of organisms, technically distinguishable either by morphology or genetics, can exchange genes. The ultimate outcome of diversification, given this perspective, is complete reproductive isolation. But an increasing amount of evidence suggests that speciation is rarely complete and inter-fertility between different taxonomically accepted species is consistently maintained. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Linan et al. (2021) provide results that bridge evolutionary processes from populations to phylogenies that indicate suites of closely related tree species in the Mascarene Islands actively exchange genes, evolving as a nested set of syngameons with a hierarchical pattern of interfertility. The deep insight into diversification provided by this study is particularly powerful because of the genomic scale of the data and the complete taxonomic sampling of an island clade evolving in situ. The prevalence of syngameon dynamics in a broad range of organisms indicates that we should adopt a fluid and comprehensive approach to defining evolutionary units for conservation and research. We should move beyond focusing on single endangered species in evolutionary and ecological isolation from other species but consider the entire network of potentially interfertile species and the potential for future adaptation and innovation, particularly in a human dominated world.

中文翻译：

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物种形成是向生殖隔离的无情进军吗？

如果在技术上可通过形态学或遗传学区分的两组生物可以交换基因，则物种形成通常被描述为“不完整”或“初期”过程。从这个角度来看，多样化的最终结果是完全的生殖隔离。但越来越多的证据表明，物种形成很少是完整的，不同分类学接受的物种之间的相互生育能力始终如一。在本期分子生态学, Linan 等。(2021) 提供的结果将进化过程从种群连接到系统发育，表明 Mascarene 群岛中密切相关的树种套件积极交换基因，进化为具有不育等级模式的嵌套组合。由于数据的基因组规模和原位进化的岛屿进化枝的完整分类采样，这项研究提供的对多样化的深入洞察特别强大。Syngameon 动力学在广泛的生物体中的盛行表明我们应该采用一种流动和综合的方法来定义保护和研究的进化单元。