A basic unit of classification; organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
Concepts: biological, morphological, phylogenetic, ecological. Problems: hybrids, ring species (such as Ensatina salamanders), asexual organisms and fossils.
The biological species concept fails for asexual organisms. Species are lineages evolving separately. Taxonomists use several lines of evidence.
Example: ring species show gradual divergence around a barrier.
A basic unit of classification; organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
Species is one of the 52 topics in Taxonomy & Biodiversity. It is rated Beginner, so it suits learners who are starting out in biology. Related topics in this area include Taxonomy, Invasive Species, Living Fossils.
Lions and tigers can produce hybrids (ligers) that are typically sterile in males.
Species is a Beginner topic, so no earlier topic is required. Other Beginner topics in Taxonomy & Biodiversity that pair well with it include Taxonomy, Binomial Nomenclature, Taxonomic Hierarchy.
The closest topics to Species are Taxonomy, Invasive Species, Living Fossils, Linnaeus. Comparing them side by side is a good way to see how the ideas connect.
Read the summary and the in-depth section, then use the quick check on the interactive lesson for Species. To practise the whole of Taxonomy & Biodiversity, use the Taxonomy & Biodiversity quiz.
Species: A basic unit of classification; organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. Taxonomy: The science of naming, describing and classifying organisms. Read both side by side and note what each one explains.
First, read the summary and write the definition in your own words. Second, read the in-depth section and note any example. Third, compare it with Taxonomy and explain the difference aloud. Finally, take the Taxonomy & Biodiversity quiz and come back to this page for any question you miss.
The science of naming, describing and classifying organisms.
🗂️ Taxonomy & BiodiversityNon-native organisms that spread and harm local ecosystems and economies.
🗂️ Taxonomy & BiodiversitySpecies like the coelacanth and ginkgo that resemble ancient lineages with few relatives.
🗂️ Taxonomy & BiodiversityCarl Linnaeus, the 18th-century Swedish scientist who established the modern hierarchical classification system.
🗂️ Taxonomy & Biodiversity