Question

1. A paleontologist discovers a new fossil bed of dinosaur bones. After a bit of examination, it’s clear they don’t belong to any known species. It’s also not clear how they relate to other species. What species concept does the paleontologist use to sort these bones into new species?

2. Lions and tigers are separate species. However, on rare occasions (especially in zoos) they have been known to mate and produce hybrid offspring (ligers & tigons!). Explain, with reference to the mechanisms of reproductive isolation, why they are separate species even though they can mate.

3. You are a conservation biologist working to protect a threatened species of butterfly. As part of your project, you conduct some molecular studies (including sequencing specific genes) and discover that although your butterflies look the same, the populations in different geographic areas are genetically distinct. What species concept do you use to make the case that the populations are separate species?

4. There are actually multiple species of fruit fly (Drosophila). Although they are closely related and appear similar to you and me – the flies can tell each other apart and only mate with their own species. Male fruit flies will actually court the females from both species of fly. The courtship is slightly different between the species, and the female only responds to the courtship of her own species. Why type of reproductive isolation mechanism is this?

5. A migrating duck accidentally transports some fish eggs (stuck to its feet) from a large and cold lake to a new small and warm lake. Over time the fish in the new lake adapt to their new environment, and become a different species from the fish in the large and cold lake. What type of speciation is this?

Answer 1

Question

1. The paleontologist compare the morphological characters of one species with another species and if the geometry of unknown species match with any species with similar geometry, both species are assume to be same. As paleontologist compare morphological data, it is a morphological species concept.

2. As lion and tiger are able to produce hybrid offspring in rare occasion, it indicate that in past they both were one species and divided into two species by biogeographical separation where the some part of land get divided from mainland and their animals, plants also get divided.

3. The species classification which can be used to define the butterflies species concept is the "biological species concept " .According to this concept, species are those individuals which can mate and produce fertile offspring. The biogeographical separation could be the reason for the speciation.

4. This species is known as gametic reproductive isolation where the gametes of only same species can mate and produce fertile offspring. The Individuals can mate with their own species and produce fertile offspring.