BIOL 1001 Chapter Notes - Chapter 18: Species Problem, Speciation

• School: York University
• Department: Biology
• Course: BIOL 1001
• Professor: Tamara Kelly

Document Summary

Humans use names to distinguish between different categories of objects. Scientists use a scientific name to describe a species (latinized name). The biological species concept- defines species as a group of organisms that can successfully interbreed and produce offspring. The phylogenetic species concept- defines species as a group of organisms bound by a unique ancestry. The ecological species concept- defines species as a group of organisms that share a distinct ecological niche. Androdioecy- organisms that exist as functional males and hermaphrodites but no true females (e. g. clam shrimps). Gynogenetic species- organisms that have only females and no males. These females seduce males of other species for sperm to fertilize eggs. Hybridization- when two species interbreed and produce fertile offspring. It can also produce sterile offspring (e. g. mating horse and a donkey). Asexually reproducing populations have a higher frequency of mutations in mitochondrial protein-coding genes than sexual reproducing organisms.