Until recently I had accepted the definition of a species as being a class of individuals sharing common characteristics, with the ability to reproduce with another member of the same species to produce a fertile offspring. However after this essay was assigned, I began researching and found that there are areas where this definition can be difficult to apply.
There are four major definitions and concepts that can be applied to a ‘species’. The biological species concept, the morphological species concept, the ecological species concept and the phylogenetic species concept.
Throughout the course of this essay, I will discuss various definitions, tackle the difficulties associated with defining a species and I aim to answer the fundamental …show more content…
Take for example most prokaryotes and some plants (e.g. Kalanchoe beharensis) that reproduce asexually. Can we apply this definition of a species to a bacterium or the Kalanchoe beharensis? Does this mean that bacteria cannot be classified as a species? The above definition is primarily focused on gene flow.
The biological species concept is based upon reproductive isolation. Reproductive isolation is the inability of members of different species to interbreed and produce a fertile, viable hybrid.
The morphological species concept:
The morphological species concept classifies species on a basis of body type, structure, shape and anatomy. It can be used to classify organisms, prokaryotes and plants that reproduce asexually included.
The ecological species concept:
The ecological species concept defines a species as a population of individuals that share the same ecological niche. This definition also accommodates individuals that reproduce asexually, such as the Kalanchoe beharensis plant.
The phylogenetic species concept:
Finally the fourth main definition of a species is the phylogenetic species concept. This defines a species as a population of individuals that share a common
There are four major definitions and concepts that can be applied to a ‘species’. The biological species concept, the morphological species concept, the ecological species concept and the phylogenetic species concept.
Throughout the course of this essay, I will discuss various definitions, tackle the difficulties associated with defining a species and I aim to answer the fundamental …show more content…
Take for example most prokaryotes and some plants (e.g. Kalanchoe beharensis) that reproduce asexually. Can we apply this definition of a species to a bacterium or the Kalanchoe beharensis? Does this mean that bacteria cannot be classified as a species? The above definition is primarily focused on gene flow.
The biological species concept is based upon reproductive isolation. Reproductive isolation is the inability of members of different species to interbreed and produce a fertile, viable hybrid.
The morphological species concept:
The morphological species concept classifies species on a basis of body type, structure, shape and anatomy. It can be used to classify organisms, prokaryotes and plants that reproduce asexually included.
The ecological species concept:
The ecological species concept defines a species as a population of individuals that share the same ecological niche. This definition also accommodates individuals that reproduce asexually, such as the Kalanchoe beharensis plant.
The phylogenetic species concept:
Finally the fourth main definition of a species is the phylogenetic species concept. This defines a species as a population of individuals that share a common