adj. Ecology 1. Occupying geographic areas that are partially overlapping or have a partial barrier between them. Used of organisms, especially populations of the same or closely related species. 2. Occurring among populations having such a distribution: parapatric speciation. [PARA-1 + Greek patrā, fatherland (from patēr, patr-, father; see pəter- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots) + -IC.] par′a·patri·cal·ly adv. pa·rapa·try (pə-răpə-trē) n. |
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