OK, in the context of genetics and evolution, what is a "specialization event"???

Question

OK, in the context of genetics and evolution, what is a "specialization event"???

Answer 1

Specialization events are when, in the evolutionary history of a species, a change occurs that is essentially non-reversible and causes the species to go down a path of adaptations that is all in response to this one change.  In genetics this often happens when a chromsome becomes duplicated or a specific gene mutates to a form with a new and quite different function.  In essence, the change causes the species to become specialized in a particular direction.