BIO 1130 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Ring Species, Parapatric Speciation, Synapomorphy

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Biology
• Course: BIO 1130
• Professor: Jon Houseman

Document Summary

There was no specific definition of a species. The first person to make an attempt at defining the term species is ernst mayer. Main problem with the biological species concept is that it doesn"t apply to the most abundant group of organisms on the planet, bacteria. Furthermore, it is necessary to prove that they are reproductively isolated from each other. It is impossible to go backwards in time with this concept. Morphospecies is when we look at physical appearances between groups. Underlying issues of divergence vs. convergence and what traits should be observed. When a new species makes an appearance and gradually changes over time replacing its ancestors. There are periods of time when both species overlap but 1 ultimately survives and becomes the dominant form. In other words, we can get new species by transforming old species. Species can be isolated into two populations for a period of time.