Species Concepts & Mechanisms of Speciation Flashcards
All species on earth thought to share a ___
single common ancestor
when did life arise on Earth?
3.8 billion years ago
the generation of species-level diversity
speciation
the evolutionary biology subfield that deals with taxonomy, understanding speciation, describing species, inferring phylogenies, and similar endeavors
systematics
smallest independently evolving unit
species
occurs when gene flow between populations ceases (or becomes very low); and when drift, mutation, and selection operate on populations separately
evolutionary independence
Independent evolution occurs when
mutation, selection, gene flow, and drift operate independently in different populations
speciation involves at least two stages:
- genetic isolation
- differentiation
The essence of speciation is ____
lack of gene flow
Who listed 24 different named species concepts
Mayden (1997)
How many species concepts did Mayden list?
24
defines a species taxon as a group of organisms that can successfully interbreed and produce fertile offspring. According to that concept, a species’ integrity is maintained by interbreeding within a species as well as by reproductive barriers between organisms of different species.
Biological Species Concept (BSC)
first modern attempt to define species, but numerous problems with this concept, on both theoretical and practical grounds
Biological Species Concept (BSC)
Problems with Biological Species (Practical Problems)
- Allopatric Species - borderline cases
- Geologic Time - fossil species not accounted
- Reproductive Isolation - degree of isolation
- Asexual species
many cases, sister lineages are _____, but distantly related lineages are not
reproductively isolated
Theoretical problems with BSC
- Character
- Isolation
speciation that occurs when biological populations of the same species become isolated due to geographical changes such as mountain building or social changes such as emigration.
Allopatric speciation/geographic speciation
The theoretical problem of BSC: reproductive compatibility is a _____; reproductive isolation is ____
primitive character; derived
Relies on morphological data and emphasizes groups of physical traits that are unique to each species
Morphological Species Concept
“a group of organisms that shares anatomical characteristics within the group, which are not shared with other groups of organisms”. Basically, organisms that look similar to each other and different from everything else.
Morphological Species Concept
Advantages of Morphological Species Concept
- Simple - traditional and simple
- Applicability - applicable for living and extinct groups
- Reproductive strategies - applicable for asexual and sexual groups
- On-Spot - ready to use as reference
Disadvantages of Morphological Species Concept
- Cryptic species - comprise two or more taxa under a single name
- Genetic differences - does not address genetic differences
Environment and Niche as Factors
Ecological Species Concept (ESC)
- Species are groups of phonetically similar organisms occupying a given ecological niche or set of niches
- Species integrity is maintained not so much by reproductive isolation but by selection to adapt each species to its niche
Ecological Species Concept (ESC)
Weakness of Ecological Species Concept (ESC)
Hard to define niches independently of the species that occupy
- Closer to defining species as individuals and as lineages that have beginnings and ends
- “A single lineage of ancestor-descendent populations which maintains its identity from other such lineages and which has its own evolutionary tendencies and historical fate”
Evolutionary Species Concept (ESC)
Lineages may separate, become species, and come back together in the future (at which time they are no longer different species).
Evolutionary Species Concept (ESC)
All organisms, past and present, belong to some ___
evolutionary species
In Evolutionary Species Concept, the _____ in the BSC sense is not required
reproductive isolation