dispersal

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In biology, phase of reproduction during which gametes, eggs, seeds, or offspring move away from the parents into other areas. The result is that overcrowding is avoided and parents do not find themselves in competition with their own offspring. The mechanisms are various, including a reliance on wind or water currents and, in the case of animals, locomotion. The ability of a species to spread widely through an area and to colonize new habitats has survival value in evolution.

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