4.1: Species, Communities and Ecosystems

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Define species according to the biological species concept.

Understanding: Species are groups of organisms that can potentially interbreed to produce fertile offspring.

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Define species according to the biological species concept.

Understanding: Species are groups of organisms that can potentially interbreed to produce fertile offspring.

Proposed by Ernst Mayr, the biological species concept defines a species as organisms that can (actually or potentially) interbreed with each other to produce fertile offspring and cannot breed with others. In other words, the organisms of the species are reproductively isolated.

Image: *Define species according to the biological species concept.*

Understanding: Species are groups of organisms that can potentially interbreed to produce fertile offspring.

Describe limitations of the biological species concept.

Understanding: Species are groups of organisms that can potentially interbreed to produce fertile offspring.

1. Cannot test the reproductive isolation of fossils which must be classified into species based on morphology.

2. Even for living species, it is hard to determine if populations are reproductively isolated especially if they are geographically isolated.

3. Many species, especially prokaryotes, reproduce asexually and must be classified based on morphology and/or biochemical characteristics.

Define "reproductive isolation."

Understanding: Members of a species may be reproductively isolated in separate populations.

Reproductive isolation is the inability of a species to interbreed successfully with other species due to geographical, behavioral, physiological, or genetic barriers.

Define "population."

Understanding: Members of a species may be reproductively isolated in separate populations.

A population is organisms of the same species that live in a particular geographic area at the same time.

Define "speciation."

Understanding: Members of a species may be reproductively isolated in separate populations.

Speciation is the process by which populations evolve to become distinct species no longer capable of interbreeding with each other to produce fertile offspring.