Dispersal
분산
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<speciesfyi-glossary slug="dispersal"></speciesfyi-glossary>Definition
The movement of organisms away from their place of origin to new areas, expanding their geographic range.
Detailed Explanation
Dispersal can occur over oceanic barriers — coconut palms floated to remote Pacific islands; Madagascan lemurs presumably rafted from Africa on floating vegetation. Long-distance dispersal events are rare but transformative, often founding entirely new radiations. Human-mediated dispersal has accelerated species movement by orders of magnitude — intentional (pet trade, agriculture) and accidental (ballast water, shipping containers) pathways introduce thousands of species annually.