'''Speciation''' is a [[process]] that occurs naturally in [[evolution]] (see [[speciation]]. Speciation is modeled explicitly in some [[genetic algorithms]].
{{R from related topic}}
Speciation in nature occurs when two similar reproducing beings evolve to become too dissimilar to share genetic information effectively or correctly. In the case of living [[organisms]], they are incapable of mating to produce [[offspring]]. Interesting special cases exist such as a [[horse]] and a [[donkey]] mating to produce an infertile [[mule]].
{{R from merge}}
In implementations of genetic search algorithms, the event of speciation is defined by some mathematical function that describes the similarity between two [[candidate solutions]] (usually described as individuals) in the population. If the result of the similarity is too low, the [[crossover]] [[operator]] is disallowed between those individuals.
