Biological species concept: the historical perspective
Loading...
Date
2024
Authors
Journal Title
Current Science
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Indian Academy of Sciences
Abstract
In biology, species is a basic unit of biological classification and taxonomic rank. It is defined as a group of similar organisms showing the same essence which is based on typological or morphological species concept (essentialism). It was Ray in the seventeenth century whose description of species also contained the germ of biological species concept (BSC) because he considered the reproductive relationship to be an important species criterion. In the eighteenth century, Koelreuter also emphasized that all the individuals who can interbreed and produce fertile offspring belong to the same species. This paved the way for BSC. Darwin also gave importance to reproductive isolation and hence the BSC. Later on, in the twentieth century, Jordan, Mayr and Dobzhansky emphasized and developed the biological species concept and species is defined as a group of potentially or actually interbreeding natural populations which are reproductively isolated from other such groups. However, recently it has been criticized by molecular evolutionary biologists supporting the genic concept of species but none wholeheartedly embraced the new genic concept of species. � (2024), (Indian Academy of Sciences). All rights reserved.