Question

Three of the most prominent definitions of species are the biological species concept, the phylogenetic species concept, and the morphological species (morphospecies)concept.

Answer 1

Phylogenetic Species Concept :( If this is not what you want Please delete)


The phylogenetic species concept is “the smallest diagnosable cluster of individual organisms within which there is a parental pattern of ancestry anddescent”

The species is “the evolutionary unit” as identified by evidence for patterns of ancestry and descent

How it works:

The phylogenetic species concept (PSC) seeks to delineate species as the smallest aggregate population or lineage which can be united by synapomorphiccharacters

Synapomorphy: a characteristic shared by two or more taxa which was derived from their common ancestor

Populations containing a specific unique allele are considered a different species from populations that do not contain that allele

Ring species are single species which possess a large amount of phenotypic variation.



Biological Species Concept:
The biological species concept defines a species as members of populations that actually or potentially interbreed in nature, not according tosimilarity of appearance. Although appearance is helpful in identifying species, it does not define species.

Appearance isn’t everything

Organisms may appear to be alike and be different species. For example, Western meadowlarks (Sturnella neglecta) and Eastern meadowlarks (Sturnellamagna) look almost identical to one another, yet do not interbreed with each other—thus, they are separate species according to this definition.






Morphospecies Concept:



Species traditionally have been described and identified on the basis of morphological criteria, a classification system referred to as themorphological or typological species concept




Species are groups of individuals that are morphologically similar and clearly distinguishable from individuals of other groups




Species had traditionally been defined by reference to a morphological type




Usually any geographic variation among members of the group was not detected or simply ignored

Answer 2

Phylogenetic Species Concept :( If this is not what you want Please delete)


The phylogenetic species concept is “the smallest diagnosable cluster of individual organisms within which there is a parental pattern of ancestry anddescent”

The species is “the evolutionary unit” as identified by evidence for patterns of ancestry and descent

How it works:

The phylogenetic species concept (PSC) seeks to delineate species as the smallest aggregate population or lineage which can be united by synapomorphiccharacters

Synapomorphy: a characteristic shared by two or more taxa which was derived from their common ancestor

Populations containing a specific unique allele are considered a different species from populations that do not contain that allele

Ring species are single species which possess a large amount of phenotypic variation.



Biological Species Concept:
The biological species concept defines a species as members of populations that actually or potentially interbreed in nature, not according to similarityof appearance. Although appearance is helpful in identifying species, it does not define species.

Appearance isn’t everything

Organisms may appear to be alike and be different species. For example, Western meadowlarks (Sturnella neglecta) and Eastern meadowlarks (Sturnella magna)look almost identical to one another, yet do not interbreed with each other—thus, they are separate species according to this definition.






Morphospecies Concept:



Species traditionally have been described and identified on the basis of morphological criteria, a classification system referred to as the morphologicalor typological species concept




Species are groups of individuals that are morphologically similar and clearly distinguishable from individuals of other groups




Species had traditionally been defined by reference to a morphological type




Usually any geographic variation among members of the group was not detected or simply ignored