Study Set Content:
Defined by morphology (growth form) Subjective to treatment and distinction among groups may not be clear
Morphological species concept
A species is a population capable of interbreeding and reproductively isolated from other groups.
Interbreeding species concept
Specifies a group of related individuals that occupy a unique ecological niche
Ecological Species Concept
Taxonomists using this method assume that the evolution of species is governed mainly by
ecological difference
study of evolutionary similarities among groups of organisms
Phylogenetics:
Species determined by phylogenetic history
Phylogenetic species concept
Used to determine evolutionary history examines natural relationships among organism based on shared features
Cladistic Methods
used by taxonomists to choose the best of several to many cladograms that is based on principle of logic called Occam’s razor which states that “one should not make more assumptions than the needed to explain anything”
Principle of Parsimony
one should not make more assumptions than the needed to explain anything
Occam’s razor
Single criterion not sufficient to identify species
Morphological, geographical, biological and ecological criteria must be used when defining species.
Eclectic Species Concept
Species DOES NOT EXIST Evolutionary unit of importance local interbreeding population
Nominalistic Species Concept
