BIOA01H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 19: Heterosis, Androdioecy, Ecological Niche

• School: UTSC
• Department: Biological Sciences
• Course: BIOA01H3
• Professor: Monica Sauer

Document Summary

The genetic data provide support for treating some populations of giraffes as distinct subspecies. Communication can affect both inter- and intraspecific behavior. Biologists latinized descriptions of the organism bearing the name, for precise communication: each described species has a scientific name. As a group of organisms capable of interbreeding to produce fertile offspring, a species should be genetically distinct from other species. Species are the fundamental taxonomic units of biological classification: environmental laws are framed in terms of species. The phylogenetic species concept (which itself has multiple versions) defines a species as a group of organisms bound by a unique ancestry. The ecological species concept defines a species as a group of organisms that share a distinct ecological niche. Patterns of reproduction can blur the definition of species: prokaryotic organisms reproduce by binary fission. Hybridization is when two species interbreed and produce fertile offspring. Hybrid vigor is usually the of crossbreeding between strains of domesticated organisms.