This is the web presence for the Reproductive Isolation Ontology (RIO), which is a a standardised framework for classifying estimates of reproductive isolation across the Tree of Life.
About the RIO
Understanding reproductive isolation (RI) between lineages is a central goal of speciation research. While the strength of RI has been estimated across a broad range of taxa, synthesising these data remains challenging, partially because we lack a common language for classifying and reporting RI estimates.
In 2021, the Network For the Integration of Speciation Research (IOS) began collating RI data from case studies in many different clades to understand how RI evolves across the Tree of Life. Through this process, we identified four primary challenges in classifying individual estimates of RI. RI classifications must accommodate (1) the diversity of organismal life histories, (2) the differing resolutions at which RI estimates are made, (3) the nuances of postzygotic isolation, and (4) the multiple dimensions of RI.
Building on the schema outlined by previous researchers and endeavouring to address these challenges, we propose a standardised framework to classify and categorise RI: the Reproductive Isolation Ontology (RIO). A detailed description of the RIO, including its aims, structure, and advantages, are outlined in this preprint:
Walker et al. 2025. A standardised framework for classifying estimates of reproductive isolation across the Tree of Life". link
The purpose of this website
This website hosts the manual for the RIO, which is currently a public-facing google doc that anyone can view in its most up-to-date form. You can view the manual here.
We see the RIO as an evolving structure, and the manual will be updated regularly to reflect edits, updates, and editions. Important changes to the structure will be logged at the start of the manual in chronological order.
Making a query, comment, or reporting an issue
We encourage users of RIO to help us improve the RIO. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, or if you find an issue, please reach out to us. You can do that either by contacting any or all of the corresponding authors (Jonah Walker: jmw258@cam.ac.uk, Sean Stankowski: S.Stankowski@sussex.ac.uk, Roger Butlin: r.k.butlin@sheffield.ac.uk), or you can use the form below.