Year 11 - Pre-Diploma Biology

THE MEANING OF SPECIES

The accompanying article from the New Scientist, Hybridisation Rules OK! by Martin Broo es, though no! dated "#pril $%%&', is still (ery (alid) He discusses the problems facing biologists !hen trying to define a species) The argument centres around a definition based upon reproducti(ely isolated organisms, or a definition based upon organisms !hich share common features and beha(iour) Read and then refer to the article to ans!er the *uestions)

The con(entional, present+day understanding of !hat !e mean by species is gi(en in lines ,, - . %) Q.1 /hat is that definition0 1t2s a group of indi(iduals !hich can mate !ith one another to produce fertile offspring) #s a definition it is *uic ly destroyed by the reference to Blue Whales and Fin Whales "lines %+$,') Q.2 Ho! do these t!o species contest the con(entional definition0 The Blue /hales and 3in /hales can breed in the !ild to produce fertile spring, meaning that they can produce fertile spring !ithout them breeding from the same species of !hale) 1n the 4rd paragraph "lines $-+4,', the t!o concepts of !hat a species is, are compared) Q.3 "i' /hat !as the species concept prior to the $%452s0 That species !here (ie!ed as different inds of li(ing things, the main problem of this !as to define different "ii' #lthough not named in the te6t, !ho do you thin !as the greatest ad(ocate of this concept0 Q.4 /hat !as7is the species concept introduced by 8ob9hans y and Mayr in the $%452s0 #ll li(ing things !ere placed into an unambiguous, discrete reproducti(e unit) This meant that humans constitute as a single species, considering that they can only potentially breed !ith each other) Q.5 8ar!in !as not particularly concerned by the concept of a species) /hy not0 ":ines ;%+4-' #s 8ar!in sa! species as artificial collections of indi(iduals, and for 8ar!in these indi(iduals !ere the units of his ne! theory of e(olution, not species) Q.6 <i(en the probable se(eral million of mostly tiny organisms not yet described on this planet, !hat problems face a natural historian !ho thin s s7he has found, and !ants to name a ne! species0 ":ines =4+&4' 1f someone thin s or has found specie !ants to name a ne! specie, they can2t because they ha(e to demonstrate !hat that specie can mate !ith, considering that there are se(eral millions species, meaning that this is a big problem to find !hat !ould that specie mate !ith) Q.7 /hat do you understand by the term sub-species 0 ":ine ,5' 1 understand subspecies to be the same species, but !ith different characteristics) Q.8 Organisms may differ or be similar in their morphology, anatomy and 8># "line ,?', and their @))0 There are good ta6onomist speciesA this is about reproducti(e compatibility !hich is seen as the glue holding a species together) The (ariation in bea s of the $4 "sub0' species of 8ar!in2s finches on <alBpagos are cited as a good e6ample of natural selection !or ing to ma e groups of birds distinct one from another, rather than reproducti(e isolation "lines -4+%-') Q.9 C6plain the argument being used) 1t is mentioned that 8ar!in sees different species by their different characteristics such as bea s) 1n this case it is natural selection, rather than reproducti(e isolation, that eeps a species distinct) Q.10 "i' /hy do hybridising species challenge the con(entional BDE0 ":ines %%+$$4' Hybrids challenge the notion of species as cohesi(e, reproducti(e units, therefore they are ignored) "ii' #nd !hy is the FD Cndangered Dpecies #ct "$%,4' a problem for ta6onomists0 ":ines $$%+$;5' 1t2s a problem for ta6onomists because by e6cluding the hybrids from legal protection, it affects the reproducti(e compatibility) Red !ol(es and coyotes are no!n to ha(e hybridised "lines $;&+$;%') "iii' Ean you name another t!o species !ho can successfully hybridise0 /olf and 8og 8ar!inian e(olution theory focuses (ery much upon species and clusters of related indi(iduals "lines $=&+$=,') Q.11 /hat therefore is the e(ol(ing unit in 8ar!inian e(olution theory0 Q.12 Delection forces act upon the small cluster of related indi(iduals but specifically, and in genetic terms, !hat is it that is being selected for or against0

Q.13 <i(en this discussion, !hat !ould no! be your Gbest2 definition of a species0 # species is a group of organisms !hich are capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring) Q.14 /hat is the fundamental e(ent in the 8># of an organism that ultimately can enable e(olution of a ne! organism !ith different characteristics to appear0 The t!o species that mate together to produce a ne! organism !ith different characteristics) Q.15 3or one organism, gi(e a full classification "from Kingdom to species', saying at each point of classification, !hat characteristics enable the grouping of the organism) 1nfo belo! fromH httpH77!!!)!olf)org7learn7basic+!olf+info7types+of+!ol(es7
Kingdom Animalia #ll animals !ho"da#a #nimals !ith a bac bone $ammalia #ll mammals !a"ni&o"a Earni(orous mammals !anidae 8og+li e mammals !anis 8ogs lu)us "gray !ol(es' "u+us "red !ol(es' l *aon "some scientists thin is a subspecies of gray !olf I see belo!' la#"ans "coyote' au"eus "golden Jac al' mesomelas "blac +bac ed Jac al' adus#us "side+striped Jac al' dingo "dingo' +amilia"is "domestic dog' simensis "#byssinian or Cthiopian !olf'

Ph lum

!lass

%"de"

Famil

'enus

()e*ies

,-am)les o+ o#he" !anid ()e*ies

Kohn Osborne 3ebruary ;5$?