Sympatric Speciation of Amphilopus Cichlids in Lake Apoyo

What evidence supports the proposal that the midas cichlid and arrow cichlid are sister species that underwent sympatric speciation?

Is there genetic data that shows they share a common ancestry?

Evidence:

Evidence supporting that A. citrinellus and A. zaliosus are sister species that underwent sympatric speciation comes from genetic data which shows that these species diverged relatively recently from a common ancestry.

The proposal that the midas cichlid, A. citrinellus, and the arrow cichlid, A. zaliosus, are sister species that underwent sympatric speciation is truly fascinating! Genetic data has shown that these two cichlid species diverged relatively recently and share a common ancestry, supporting the theory of sympatric speciation.

Despite inhabiting the same geographic region in Lake Apoyo, A. citrinellus and A. zaliosus evolved different adaptations, particularly in their morphologies and diets. This unique evolution process demonstrates how new species can arise in the same habitat through sympatric speciation.

The genetic analysis further revealed that a single population of cichlid fish colonized Lake Apoyo around just 100 years ago, yet has already diversified into two distinct species with different feeding habits. This rapid speciation process highlights the evolutionary potential within cichlid populations.