MICROTAXONOMY

MODULE 4
MICROTAXONOMY
1b. List down all
these existing
1a. What is a species concepts,
species? and include a brief
description for each.
1A. What is a species?
- Group of organisms that can reproduce naturally with one

another and create fertile offspring.
- Has more than 20 other different concepts

List down all these existing species concepts, and include a
1B.
brief description for each.
1. Biological Species Concept

- members of populations that actually/potential interbreed
in nature, not according to similarity of appearance.
2. Evolutionary Species Concept

- a single lineage of ancestor-descendant populations of
organisms which maintain its identity from other such
lineages and which has its own evolutionary tendencies
(Wiley, 1981).
List down all these existing species concepts, and include a
1B.
brief description for each.
3. Nominalistic Species Concept

- only individuals exist and species are man-made
aberrations or abstractions.
- mental concept and nothing more
4. Typological Species Concept

- the diversities on Earth that exists as types do not bear
any relationship to each other
2
2. Among the different

species concepts present,
what concept for you best
exemplifies a “species”?
2.
Evolutionary species concept
- draws its identity from other such lineages

- has its own evolutionary tendencies and historical fate
- includes asexual organisms and extinct species
-filled the gaps of the biological species concept
3
3b. Speciation can
take place with or
3a. What is without geographic
separation, discuss
Speciation? the two ways. Cite
examples of the
different types.
3A. What is Speciation?
- Populations evolve to become distinct species

- Impossible for individuals from the two new populations to
interbreed
- Can occur in 4 categories:
- Allopatric speciation
- Sympatric speciation
- Peripatric speciation
- Parapatric speciation
3B. Speciation with geographic separation
1. Allopatric speciation
- Due to geographical isolation
- Both species evolve separately
Example:
Formation of Arizona’s
Grand Canyon led the
population of squirrels to
separate and could no
longer interact.
2. Peripatric speciation
- occurs at a small level, where geographical barriers
separate the species at the periphery and evolution occurs
separately.
Exercise:
Mainland vs. Island flies
A population of wild fruit flies minding its own

business on several bunches of rotting bananas also
laying eggs inside of bananas. A hurricane washes
the bananas and the fruit flies’ eggs out to sea. The
bananas eventually wash up on an island off the
coast of the mainland. But only a few eggs have
survived the journey to end up colonizing the island.
These few survivors just by chance carry some genes
that are very rare in the mainland population. One of
these rare genes causes a slight variation in the
mating behavior and changes in sexual organs. After
a few generations, the entire island population ends
up having these rare genes.
3B. Speciation without geographic separation
1. Sympatric speciation
- “sym” meaning same, “patric” meaning homeland

- involves speciation occurring within a parent species
remaining in one location.
- occurs when there are no physical barriers and all
members are in close proximity
1. Sympatric speciation
- does not require large scale geographic distance to

reduce gene flow between parts of population
- requires development of assortative mating within a
population
- reproductively isolated, geographically sympatric
populations
Example:
1. Rhagoletis pomonella
(apple manggot fly)
Example:
2. Orca forms in the

northeast Pacific
2. Parapatric speciation
- extremely rare
- populations are separated by an extreme change in
habitat
- often develop distinct characteristics and lifestyles
- reproductive isolation is temporal or behavioral
2. Parapatric speciation
- no extrinsic barrier to gene flow

- population is continuous, but population does not mate
randomly
- individuals are more likely to mate with their geographic
neighbors that individuals in a different part of the
population’s range
- divergence may happen
Examples:
Grass species
Anthoxanthum odoratum
Examples:
Buffalo grass
4
4. Define prezygotic barrier

and postzygotic barrier and
discuss its impact in the
evolution of populations.
4. Prezygotic Barriers
- Prevents mating and fertilization
Examples:
- Habitat isolation
- Behavioral isolation
- Temporal isolation
- Mechanical isolation
- Gametic isolation
4. Postzygotic Barriers
- Prevent a hybrid zygote from developing into a viable, fertile

adult.
Evidence of postzygotic reproductive:

- Reduced hybrid viability/fertility
- Reduced viability/fertility of the offspring of hybrid
individuals
Geographic isolation
- Any physical barrier that separates two or more groups of
organisms
Example:
A. harrisi and A. leucurus
Ecological isolation
- separation of groups of organisms as a result of changes in their
ecology or in the environment in which they live.
Example:
2 species of garter snake lives in same area, but one lives in water
& other is terrestrial
Temporal isolation
- species mate at different time
Example:
Eastern and Western spotted skunk
Behavioral isolation
- occurs when 2 species respond to different specific
courtships
Example:
Fireflies produce patterns of light and attract their mates
Crickets are specific to mating songs
Mechanical isolation
- occurs when species cannot mate due to the presence of
incompatible reproductive structure
Example:
Bush babies have distinctly shaped genitalia that will only fit
with members of the same species
Gametic isolation
- occurs when sperm of one species cannot survive in the
internal environment of another species
Example:
Sea urchins release sperm & eggs into surrounding waters
where they fuse & form zygotes
“hybrid” product of mating between different species
Reduced Hybrid Viability

- a lower potential to survive for organisms whose parents have incompatible
genetics, mostly because these parents mated despite being different species.
Example:
Species of salamander genus, may interbreed, but most hybrids
do not complete developments & those that do are frail
Reduced Hybrid Fertility

- lowered reproductive success in comparison to parents that serves as a
postzygotic barrier to reproduction.
Example:
Mules are vigorous but sterile
Hybrid Breakdown
- a type of reproductive isolating mechanism and
reproductive failure
- leads to sterile and nonviable F2 generation offspring
obtained from the mating of fertile viable F1 individuals
Example:
Different cotton species can produce fertile hybrids but
breakdown occurs in the next generation when offspring of
the hybrids die as seeds or grow into weak and defective
plants.
4. Impact in the Evolution of Populations
- Keep species unique from one another
- Prevent costly but unfavorable mating combinations.

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MODULE 4

- Group of organisms that can reproduce naturally with one

- Has more than 20 other different concepts

1. Biological Species Concept

2. Evolutionary Species Concept

3. Nominalistic Species Concept

4. Typological Species Concept

2. Among the different

Evolutionary species concept

- draws its identity from other such lineages

- Populations evolve to become distinct species

A population of wild fruit flies minding its own

- “sym” meaning same, “patric” meaning homeland

- does not require large scale geographic distance to

2. Orca forms in the

- no extrinsic barrier to gene flow

4. Define prezygotic barrier

- Prevents mating and fertilization

- Prevent a hybrid zygote from developing into a viable, fertile

Evidence of postzygotic reproductive:

Reduced Hybrid Viability

Reduced Hybrid Fertility

- Keep species unique from one another

- Prevent costly but unfavorable mating combinations.

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