▁between ▁two ▁individuals ▁depend [ s ] ▁[ sole ly ] ▁on ▁their ▁gen ot ypes , ▁[ and ▁the ▁gen es ▁are ] ▁dispers ed ▁throughout ▁the ▁range ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁during ▁the ▁period ▁of ▁reprodu ction ". ▁In ▁ess ence , ▁sym pat ric ▁spe ci ation ▁does ▁require ▁very ▁strong ▁forces ▁of ▁natural ▁selection ▁to ▁be ▁acting ▁on ▁her itable ▁tra its , ▁as ▁there ▁is ▁no ▁ge ographic ▁isol ation ▁to ▁aid ▁in ▁the ▁splitting ▁process . ▁Yet , ▁recent ▁research ▁has ▁begun ▁to ▁indicate ▁that ▁sym pat ric ▁spe ci ation ▁is ▁not ▁as ▁un common ▁as ▁was ▁once ▁assumed . ▁ ▁S ynt opy ▁ ▁S ynt opy ▁is ▁a ▁special ▁case ▁of ▁sym pat ry . ▁It ▁means ▁the ▁joint ▁occurrence ▁of ▁two ▁species ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁habitat ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time . ▁Just ▁as ▁the ▁bro ader ▁term ▁sym pat ry , ▁" s ynt opy " ▁is ▁used ▁especially ▁for ▁close ▁species ▁that ▁might ▁hy brid ise ▁or ▁even ▁be ▁sister ▁species . ▁Sym pat ric ▁species ▁occur ▁together ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁region , ▁but ▁do ▁not ▁necessarily ▁share ▁the ▁same ▁local ities ▁as ▁s ynt op ic ▁species ▁do . ▁Are as ▁of ▁s ynt opy ▁are ▁of ▁interest ▁because ▁they ▁allow ▁to ▁study ▁how ▁similar ▁species ▁may ▁co exist ▁without ▁out comp eting ▁each ▁other . ▁ ▁As ▁an ▁example , ▁the ▁two ▁bat ▁species ▁My ot is ▁aur icul us ▁and ▁M . ▁ev ot is ▁were ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁s