Species criteria in biology. Species and its ecological characteristics What species criterion is based on the similarity of proteins

Morphological criterion reflects the external and internal similarity of individuals of the same species.

Thus, black and white crows belong to different species, which can be determined by their appearance. But organisms that belong to the same species may differ from each other in some characteristics and properties. However, these differences are very small compared to those observed in individuals of different species. Meanwhile, there are species that have external similarities, but cannot interbreed. These are the so-called twin species. So, in Drosophila, malaria mosquito and the black rat, two twin species have been identified. Twin species are also found in amphibians, reptiles, birds and even mammals. Consequently, the morphological criterion is not decisive for distinguishing species. However, for a long time this criterion was considered the main and only one when determining species (Fig. 39).

At the core physiological criterion lies the similarity of life processes in individuals of each species, especially reproduction.

Representatives of different species do not interbreed with each other, and if they interbreed, they do not produce offspring. The non-breeding of species is explained by differences in the structure of the genital organs, different terms reproduction and other reasons. However, in nature there are cases when some species of plants (poplar, willow), birds (canary) and animals (hares) can interbreed and produce offspring. This also indicates that physiological criterion alone is also not sufficient to distinguish species.

This criterion refers to the specific environmental conditions in which individuals of a particular species live and to which they have adapted. For example, poisonous buttercup grows in fields and meadows, creeping buttercup grows in wet places, and burning buttercup grows along the banks of rivers and reservoirs, and in swampy places.

This criterion refers to the set of chromosomes, structure and color characteristic of each species. One look-alike black rat has 38, the other has 42 chromosomes. Although the genetic criterion is characterized by some constancy, this similarity is relative, since within a species there may be differences in the number and structure of chromosomes. In addition, the number of chromosomes may be the same in different species. For example, cabbage and radish each have 18 chromosomes.

1. Biological species and its criteria.

All life on the planet is represented by individual species.

A species is a historically established collection of individuals with hereditary similarities in morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics; capable of freely interbreeding and producing fertile offspring; adapted to certain environmental conditions and occupying a certain area.

Each type of organism can be described by a set of characteristic features and properties, which are called signs of the species. Characteristics of a species by which one species can be distinguished from another are called species criteria.

The following general criteria of the type are most often used: morphological, physiological, genetic, biochemical, geographical and environmental.

Morphological criterion - based on the external and internal similarity of individuals of the same species.

The morphological criterion is the most convenient and is therefore widely used in species taxonomy.

However, the morphological criterion is insufficient to determine the difference sibling species with significant morphological similarity.

Twin species practically do not differ in appearance, but individuals of such species do not interbreed.

Twin species are quite common in nature. About 5% of all species of insects, birds, fish, etc. have twin species:

- black rats have two twin species;

- the malaria mosquito has six twin species.

The use of a morphological criterion is also difficult in cases where individuals of the same species differ sharply from each other in appearance, the so-called polymorphic species.

The simplest example of polymorphism is sexual dimorphism, when morphological differences are observed between males and females of the same species.

It is difficult to use a morphological criterion when diagnosing domestic animal species. Breeds bred by man can differ significantly from each other, remaining within the same species (breeds of cats, dogs, pigeons).

Thus, the morphological criterion is insufficient to determine the species identity of individuals.

The physiological criterion characterizes the similarity of life processes in individuals of the same species, primarily the similarity of reproduction.

There is physiological isolation between individuals of different species, which manifests itself in the fact that individuals of different species almost never interbreed. This is explained by differences in the structure of the reproductive apparatus, timing and places of reproduction, behavioral rituals during mating, etc.

If interspecific crossing does occur, the result is interspecific hybrids that are characterized by reduced viability or are infertile and do not produce offspring:

For example, There is a known hybrid of a horse and a donkey - a mule, which is quite viable, but sterile.

However, in nature there are species that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring (for example, some species of canaries, finches, poplars, willows, etc.).

Consequently, the physiological criterion is insufficient to characterize the species.

The genetic criterion is a set of chromosomes characteristic of each species, their strictly defined number, size and shape.

Individuals of different species cannot interbreed, since they have different sets of chromosomes and differ in number, size and shape:

- for example, two closely related species of black rats differ in the number of chromosomes (one species has 38 chromosomes, the other 48) and therefore do not interbreed.

However, this criterion is not universal:

- firstly, in many different species the number of chromosomes can be the same (for example, many species of the legume family have 22 chromosomes);

- secondly, within the same species there can be individuals with different numbers of chromosomes, which is the result of mutations (for example, in silver crucian carp there are populations with a set of chromosomes 100, 150, 200, while their normal number is 50).

Thus, based on genetic criterion It is also impossible to reliably determine whether individuals belong to a specific species.

The biochemical criterion allows one to distinguish between species based on biochemical parameters (the composition and structure of certain proteins, nucleic acids and other substances).

It is known that the synthesis of certain high-molecular substances is characteristic only of certain species ( for example, many plant species differ in their ability to form and accumulate certain alkaloids).

However, there is significant intraspecific variability in almost all biochemical parameters, down to the sequence of amino acids in molecules of proteins and nucleic acids.

Therefore, the biochemical criterion is also not universal. In addition, it is not widely used, as it is very labor-intensive.

The geographical criterion is based on the fact that each species occupies a certain territory or water area.

In other words, Each species is characterized by a specific geographic range.

Many species occupy different habitats, but most species have overlapping habitats.

There are species that do not have a specific geographical range, i.e. living over vast expanses of land or ocean, the so-called cosmopolitan species :

- some inhabitants of inland water bodies - rivers and freshwater lakes (many species of fish, reeds);

- cosmopolitans also include dandelion, shepherd's purse, etc.;

- cosmopolitans are found among synanthropic animals - species that live near a person or his home (lice, bedbugs, cockroaches, flies, rats, mice, etc.);

- cosmopolitans also include indoor and cultivated plants, weeds, and domestic animals that are under human care.

In addition, there are species that do not have clear boundaries of distribution or have a broken geographic range.

Due to these circumstances geographical criterion, like others, is not absolute.

The ecological criterion is based on the fact that each species can exist only in certain conditions, fulfilling its functional role in a specific biogeocenosis.

In other words:

Each species occupies a specific ecological niche in complex system ecological relationships with other organisms and inanimate factors.

An ecological niche is the totality of all factors and environmental conditions within which the existence of a species in nature is possible.

It includes the entire complex of abiotic and biotic environmental factors necessary for an organism to live, and is determined by its morphological fitness, physiological reactions and behavior.

The classic definition of an ecological niche was given by the American ecologist J. Hutchinson (1957).

According to the concept he formulated, an ecological niche is a part of an imaginary multidimensional space (hypervolume), the individual dimensions of which correspond to the factors necessary for the normal existence of a species (Fig. 1).

two-dimensional niche three-dimensional niche

Rice. 1. Hutchinson’s ecological niche model

(F 1, F 2, F 3 – intensity various factors).

For example:

- for the existence of a terrestrial plant, a certain combination of temperature and importance is sufficient (two-dimensional niche);

- for a marine animal, the following are necessary: ​​temperature, salinity, oxygen concentration (three-dimensional niche).

It is important to emphasize that an ecological niche is not just the physical space occupied by a species, but also its place in the community, determined by its ecological functions and its position relative to abiotic conditions of existence.

According to the figurative expression of Yu. Odum, an “ecological niche” is the “profession” of a species, its way of life, and “habitat” is its “address” ”

For example, a mixed forest is a habitat for hundreds of species of plants and animals, but each of them has its own and only one “profession” - an ecological niche. Elk and squirrel share the same habitat, but their ecological niches are completely different.

Consequently, an ecological niche is not a spatial, but a functional category.

It is important to recognize that an ecological niche is not something that can be seen. An ecological niche is an abstract abstract concept.

An ecological niche determined only by the physiological characteristics of organisms is called fundamental, and the one within which the species actually occurs in nature - realized.

However, the ecological criterion is also insufficient to characterize the species.

Some different species in different habitats can occupy the same ecological niches:

- antelopes in the savannas of Africa, bison in the prairies of America, kangaroos in the savannas of Australia, The marten in the European taiga and the sable in the Asian taiga lead the same lifestyle and have a similar type of diet, i.e. in different biogeocenoses they perform the same functions and occupy similar ecological niches.

It often happens the other way around - the same species in different habitats is characterized by different ecological niches. Most often this is due to the availability of food and the presence of competitors:

Moreover, the same view in different periods its development can occupy various ecological niches:

- Thus, a tadpole feeds on plant foods, and an adult frog is a typical carnivore, so they are characterized by different ecological niches;

- migratory birds, in connection with migrations, are also characterized by different ecological niches in winter and summer;

- among algae there are species that function either as autotrophs or as heterotrophs. As a result, at certain periods of their lives they occupy certain ecological niches.

Thus, none of these criteria can be used to determine whether an individual belongs to a specific species. A species can be characterized only by a combination of all or most criteria.

Supraorganismal systems. Evolution organic world

Evolutionary doctrine

Basic concepts:

species, species criteria, population, systematics, classification, history of evolutionary ideas, synthetic theory of evolution, driving forces of evolution, forms natural selection, population waves, genetic drift, artificial selection, types of struggle for existence, results of evolution, microevolution, speciation, isolation, fitness, relative character fitness, forms and directions of evolution, biological progress and regression, macroevolution, aromorphosis, idioadaptation, degeneration, evidence of evolution

On Earth there are about 2 million species of animals, more than 500 thousand species of plants, hundreds of thousands of species of fungi and microorganisms. A species is a collection of organisms that actually exists in nature.

View – This is a collection of individuals that are similar in structure, have a common origin, freely interbreed and produce fertile offspring. All individuals of the same species have the same karyotype - a set of chromosomes of a somatic cell (2n), similar behavior, occupy a certain territory - area (from Latin area - area, space). Carl Linnaeus (17th century) introduced the concept of "species".

Species is one of the main forms of organization of living things. Each type of living organism can be described based on the totality characteristic features, properties, which are called features. Characteristics of a species by which one species is distinguished from another are called species criteria.

Type criteria – set characteristic features, properties and characteristics by which one species differs from another. The most commonly used are six general species criteria: morphological, physiological, genetic, biochemical, geographical and environmental. Moreover, none of the criteria is absolute; to determine the type, the presence of the maximum number of criteria is necessary.

Morphological criterion- description of external (morphological) characteristics and internal (anatomical) structure of individuals that are part of a certain species. By appearance, size and color of plumage, you can, for example, easily distinguish a great spotted woodpecker from a green one, big tit from crested. Based on the appearance of the shoots and inflorescences, the size and arrangement of the leaves, the types of clover can be easily distinguished: meadow and creeping. The morphological criterion is widely used in taxonomy. However, this criterion is not sufficient to distinguish between species that have significant morphological similarities. For example, in nature there are twin species that do not have noticeable morphological differences (black rats have two twin species - with a set of chromosomes 38 and 42, and the malaria mosquito used to be called six similar species, only one of which spreads malaria).

Physiological criterion lies in the similarity of life processes, primarily in the possibility of crossing between individuals of the same species with the formation of fertile offspring. Physiological isolation exists between different species. At the same time, crossing is possible between some species of living organisms; in this case, fertile hybrids can be formed (canaries, hares, poplars, willows, etc.)

Geographical criterion- each species occupies a certain territory - range. Many species occupy different habitats. But many species have coinciding (overlapping) or overlapping ranges, some have a broken range (for example, linden grows in Europe, is found in the Kuznetsk Alatau and Krasnoyarsk Territory). In addition, there are species that do not have clear boundaries of distribution, as well as cosmopolitan species that live over vast areas of land or ocean. Some inhabitants of inland bodies of water - rivers and freshwater lakes (duckweed, reeds) are cosmopolitans. Cosmopolitans are found among weeds, synanthropic animals (species that live near a person or his home) - bedbug, red cockroach, housefly, as well as dandelion, field grass, shepherd's purse, etc. Thus, the geographical criterion, like others, is not absolute.

Ecological criterion is based on the fact that each species can exist only under certain conditions: each species occupies a certain ecological niche. For example, acrid buttercup grows in floodplain meadows, creeping buttercup grows along the banks of rivers and ditches, and burning buttercup grows in wetlands. However, there are species that do not have strict ecological criteria; an example is synanthropic species.

Genetic criterion based on the difference between species by karyotypes, i.e., by the number, shape and size of chromosomes. The vast majority of species are characterized by a strictly defined karyotype. However, this criterion is not universal. For example, many different species have the same number of chromosomes and their shape is similar. Thus, many species from the legume family have 22 chromosomes (2n = 22). Also within the same species there can be individuals with different numbers of chromosomes (the result of genomic mutations): goat willow has a diploid (38) and tetraploid (76) number of chromosomes; in silver crucian carp there are populations with a set of chromosomes 100, 150,200, while the normal number is 50. Thus, based on a genetic criterion, it is not always possible to determine whether individuals belong to a specific species.

Biochemical criterion is the composition and structure of certain proteins, nucleic acids and other substances. For example, the synthesis of certain high-molecular substances is characteristic only of certain species: alkaloids are formed by plant species of the Solanaceae and Liliaceae families. But this criterion is not widely used - it is labor-intensive and not always universal. There is significant intraspecific variability in almost all biochemical parameters (the sequence of amino acids in protein molecules and nucleotides in individual sections of DNA). At the same time, many biochemical characteristics are conservative: some are found in all representatives of this type or class.

Thus, none of the criteria separately can serve to determine the species: to determine the species, it is necessary to take into account the totality of all criteria. In addition to the listed characteristics, scientists identify historical and ethological criteria.

Characteristics of type criteria

View- a set of individuals characterized by a common origin, possessing hereditary similarity of morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics, freely interbreeding with each other and producing fertile offspring, adapted to existing living conditions and occupying a certain territory - habitat. All species consist of populations, that is, a population is the structural unit of a species.

Populations – These are groups of organisms of the same species, relatively isolated from each other, with the ability to freely interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

View - a set of individuals that have common morphophysiological characteristics and are united by the ability to interbreed with each other, forming a system of populations that form a common area.

Populations are characterized by certain properties:

1) number – the total number of organisms in the population;

2) birth rate – rate of population growth;

3) mortality – the rate of population decline as a result of the death of individuals;

4) age composition – ratio of the number of individuals of different ages(ratio of age groups);

5) sex ratio - based on the genetic determination of sex, the sex ratio in the population should be 1:1, violation of this ratio leads to a decrease in population size;

6) population dynamics - under the influence of various factors, periodic and non-periodic fluctuations in the number and size of the area are possible, which can affect the nature of crossings;

7) population density - the number of individuals per unit of space occupied by the population.

Populations do not exist in isolation: they interact with populations of other species, forming biotic communities.

Studying nature, scientists discovered and described previously unknown organisms, giving them names. At the same time, it often turned out that different scientists called the same organism differently. The more materials accumulated, the more difficulties appeared in using the accumulated knowledge. There was a need to bring all the diversity of living organisms into a single system. The branch of biology that deals with the description and classification of organisms is called taxonomy .

The first systems were artificial, as they were built on several arbitrarily chosen features. One of the systems for classifying plants and animals was proposed by Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778). The merit of the scientist is not only in the creation of the system, but also in the fact that he introduced double names of species: the first word is the name of the genus, the second is the name of the species, for example, Aurelia aurita– eared jellyfish, Aurelia cyanea – polar jellyfish. This naming system still exists today. Subsequently, the system of the organic world proposed by C. Linnaeus was significantly changed. The basis of the modern classification, which is natural, lies the principle of the kinship of species both with living and extinct ones.

Thus, the goal of natural classifications– creation of a unified system of living organisms that would cover all the diversity of living organisms and reflect the origin and history of their development. IN modern system Organisms are classified into groups based on the connections between them by descent. Systematic categories, or taxa, are names of groups of living organisms that share similar characteristics. For example, the class Birds are highly organized vertebrates whose bodies are covered with feathers and whose forelimbs are turned into wings. The largest systematic categories of organisms are empires (precellular and cellular organisms). Empires are divided into kingdoms.

Organic world

Kingdom Viruses

Overkingdom Prokaryotes Overkingdom Eukaryotes

(non-nuclear) (nuclear)

Kingdom Bacteria

Kingdom Plants Kingdom Animals Kingdom Mushrooms Animal kingdoms unite types, and in plants - departments. Examples of systematic categories:

Systems in which higher categories successively include lower and lower categories are called hierarchical (from the Greek hieros - sacred, arche - power), that is, systems whose levels are subject to certain rules.

An important step development of biology was the period of formation of systematization, which is associated with the name Carla Linnaeus(1707-1778). K. Linnaeus believed that Live nature created by the Creator, the types are unchanged. The scientist based the classification on signs of similarity, rather than kinship between species. Despite the mistakes made by K. Linnaeus, his contribution to the development of science is enormous: he streamlined ideas about the diversity of the flora and fauna.

At the end of the 18th century, changes occurred in views on the origin of life: ideas appeared about the origin of modern organisms from distant ancestors.

The idea of ​​evolution of the organic world is expressed by Jean Baptiste Lamarck(1744-1829). Lamarck's main achievements include the following:

Introduced the term "biology";

Improved the classification already existing at that time;

Tried to determine the reasons evolutionary process(according to Lamarck, the reason for evolution is the desire for self-improvement - exercise and not exercise of organs);

He believed that the process of historical change proceeds from simple to complex; species change due to conditions external environment;

He expressed the idea of ​​human origin from ape-like ancestors.

Lamarck's erroneous positions include:

The idea of ​​an internal desire for self-improvement;

The assumption of the inheritance of changes that arose under the influence of the external environment.

Lamarck's merit is the creation of the first evolutionary doctrine.

In the 19th century, science, industry, Agriculture. The successes of science and practical human activity laid the foundation on which evolutionary theory developed.

Nature has created the living world in such a way that each type of organism differs from the other in its feeding method, as well as in its territory of residence. If we take birds, for example, we can see that there are visible differences between tits, chickadees, and blue tits in the choice of insects to provide food for themselves, as well as in the processes of obtaining food. Some people look for food in the bark of a tree, while others look for food in the leaves of plants. Moreover, they all belong to the genus tits.

Of course, the ecological criterion is not multifunctional in terms of characteristics, because science has proven that some animals of different species can have identical properties according to this criterion. For example, they all eat small crustaceans, and their lifestyle is also the same, although they live in different seas.

What is a species?

Let's look in detail at what sam means. In the scientific world, it involves a collection of living beings and plants that have the ability to interbreed with each other and also have offspring.

The species falls under the definition since today it represents precisely a group of related organic formations that have the same root cause of occurrence, but in this moment they are endowed with certain characteristics of a morphological, physiological and biochemical nature, separated by natural or artificial selection from other species groups and adapted to a specific habitat.

Formation of new species

How are views created? - the main engines of the formation of new types. In the first case, the emergence of qualitatively new family groups and orders is implied, which appeared as a result of long-term microevolutionary changes. In the second, a complex process of mutations occurs, which gradually separate entire families and orders, forming new species. And in this case they become a separate complex of organisms.

That is, thanks to microevolution, which is also defined as “supraspecific”, species become even more separated in their qualities, transforming into groups with the same set of characteristics. This can be understood using the example of the ecological criterion of a species: there is also a durum variety, which means, in a general sense, this is a genus of wheat, and there are grains of rye, wheat and barley, and all of them are representatives of the cereal family. From this we can conclude that all samples of any families descended from some common ancestor, thanks to microevolutionary processes that occurred in the population of this ancestor itself.

What does the ecological criterion of a species consist of?

Definition is complex impact ecological signs apparently in its range. These characteristics are divided into groups: biotic factors (when living organisms influence each other, for example, by pollinating plants by bees), abiotic factors (the influence of temperature, humidity, light, relief, soil, water salinity, wind, and so on on the development of living organisms ) And anthropogenic factors(human impact on the surrounding flora and fauna).

All species of the animal and plant world develop constructive signs of adaptation to environment during evolution, and the nature of the habitat is the same for the entire species. What examples of an ecological criterion for a species can be given if we consider it from this point of view? The unity of the species is associated with the free crossing of individuals. Plus historical development shows that over time, a species may develop a completely new adaptation, for example, sending certain signals to each other when a situation arises, or the appearance of group defense against enemies.

An example of an ecological criterion for a species would be isolation. That is, when the same species has different ecological conditions, the differences in their behavior and morphological structure will be significant. A good illustration is urban and rural swifts. If they are put in one cage, then there will be no offspring, because during their lives in different environmental conditions, individuals of this species have developed various morphological, physiological and other characteristics. But they continue to remain under the "roof" of the same species, and this is an example of the ecological criterion of an animal species.

Flora in ecological criteria

Examples of the ecological criterion of a species in plants are those that can form several ecotypes, some of which will live in the plains and others in the mountains. These include, for example, St. John's wort, some species of which, thanks to microevolution, quickly adapted to new growing conditions.

The influence of the external environment on the evolution of a species

The famous researcher Lamarck believed that greatest influence on a living organism has an inorganic environment, that is, its physical and chemical compositions(temperature, climatic conditions, water resources, soil composition and so on). Everything that came under their influence could change the types of living organisms, giving them characteristics inherent in a given ecological niche. Due to forced adaptation, the animal (plant) began to change, thereby forming the new kind or subspecies This can be called an example of an ecological criterion for a species.

Temperature conditions within the framework of environmental criteria

An example of a species according to ecological criteria can be a living organism adapted to different temperature conditions. During adaptation, a biochemical change occurs internal organs and fabrics. Due to the fact that animals can live in low, high or fluctuating temperatures, they are divided into groups: cold-blooded, warm-blooded and heterothermic.

Considering that heat sources are both external and internal factors, then, considering the first group using the example of lizards, you can see that they prefer to bask in the sun rather than hide in the shadows. This means that their internal ability to thermoregulate is very low. Being under a heat flow, they increase their body temperature quite quickly. However, by evaporating the accumulated moisture, the lizard can reduce it to a comfortable level. Such species are organisms lower development. But despite this, exist with low temperatures They won't be able to do it without external heat.

From examples of biology: the ecological criterion for a species of the warm-blooded group includes almost all mammals and birds. Thermoregulation in their bodies occurs on the physical (breathing, evaporation, etc.) and chemical (metabolic intensity) levels. In addition, warm-blooded organisms can tremble, thereby increasing their body temperature; in animals with feathers and underfur, thermal insulation occurs when they are raised. In the face of cold wind or hot sun, such organisms have to look for an alternative: shade of coolness or good shelter from frostbite.

The third group is an intermediate stage between the first two. This usually includes species of primitive animals and birds, as well as those living organisms that have their own period of hibernation, that is, they themselves can control body temperature, lower or increase it. As an example, we can take the marmot, which in winter, when hibernating, lowers its body temperature to six degrees, and during the active period of its life it increases to human temperature.

The influence of soil on the development of the species

Besides climatic conditions, is very important for the species soil environment range. In this case, representatives of underground inhabitants can be taken as an example of an ecological criterion for a species. Little “diggers” have only one function for survival - to dig their home as best and deeply as possible so that no predator can reach them.

They use their limbs, which are adapted to certain type soil, that is, with a change in place of residence in the form of soil, the limbs must adapt over time. All living organisms, like a mole, have a similar paw structure, and living underground has adapted the animal to a lack of oxygen and suffocation, and this is an inevitable situation.

The importance of precipitation using the example of an environmental criterion of the type

Creatures that have adapted to snow cover, frequent rainfall, hail, have special differences in the structure of the body. high humidity and so on. In biology, the ecological criterion of a species will be the change in animal cover to match the color of the snow. This occurs in birds, hares, for example white partridge turns really into white, changing the feather plumage.

Winter “clothes” are much warmer, and constant exposure to snow increases heat transfer. How? It turns out that under the thick snow the air temperature is much higher than outside it. Therefore, hibernating bears survive the winter well, spending the night in snowy dens. To move through snow, organisms develop special devices on the limbs, be it sharp claws for walking on ice or webbed feet for moving through tropical flooded forests.

Since the ecology on the planet is constantly changing, the processes of microevolution, during which living beings adapt to new living conditions, continue.

View (lat. species) - taxonomic, systematic unit, a group of individuals with common morphophysiological, biochemical and behavioral signs, capable of mutual crossing, producing fertile offspring in a number of generations, naturally distributed within a certain area and similarly changing under the influence of environmental factors. A species is a really existing genetically indivisible unit of the living world, the main structural unit in a system of organisms, a qualitative stage in the evolution of life.

For a long time it was believed that any species is a closed genetic system, that is, there is no exchange of genes between the gene pools of two species. This statement is true for most species, but there are exceptions to it. So, for example, lions and tigers can have common offspring (ligers and tigers), the females of which are fertile - they can give birth to both tigers and lions. Many other species are interbred in captivity, which natural conditions do not interbreed due to geographic or reproductive isolation. Crossing (hybridization) between different species can also occur in natural conditions, especially with anthropogenic disturbances of the habitat that disrupt ecological isolation mechanisms. Plants hybridize especially often in nature. A noticeable percentage of species higher plants has a hybridogenic origin - they were formed during hybridization as a result of partial or complete fusion of parent species.

Basic criteria of the type

1. Morphological criterion of the species. Based on existence morphological features, characteristic of one species, but absent in other species.

For example: in the common viper, the nostril is located in the center of the nasal shield, and in all other vipers (nosed, Asia Minor, steppe, Caucasian, viper) the nostril is shifted to the edge of the nasal shield.
At the same time, there are significant individual morphological differences within species. For example, the common viper is represented by many color forms (black, gray, bluish, greenish, reddish and other shades). These characteristics cannot be used to distinguish species.

2. Geographical criterion. It is based on the fact that each species occupies a certain territory (or water area) - a geographic range. For example, in Europe, some species of malaria mosquito (genus Anopheles) inhabit the Mediterranean, others - the mountains of Europe, Northern Europe, Southern Europe.

However, the geographical criterion is not always applicable. The ranges of different species can overlap, and then one species smoothly passes into another. In this case, a chain of vicariating species is formed (superspecies, or series), the boundaries between which can often be established only through special research (for example, herring gull, black-billed gull, western gull, Californian gull).

3. Ecological criterion. It is based on the fact that two species cannot occupy the same ecological niche. Consequently, each species is characterized by its own relationship with its environment.

However, within the same species, different individuals can occupy different ecological niches. Groups of such individuals are called ecotypes. For example, one ecotype of Scots pine inhabits swamps (swamp pine), another – sand dunes, and a third – leveled areas of pine forest terraces.

A set of ecotypes that form a single genetic system (for example, capable of interbreeding with each other to form full-fledged offspring) is often called an ecospecies.

4. Molecular genetic criterion. Based on the degree of similarity and difference of nucleotide sequences in nucleic acids. Typically, “non-coding” DNA sequences (molecular genetic markers) are used to assess the degree of similarity or difference. However, DNA polymorphism exists within the same species, and different species may have similar sequences.

5. Physiological-biochemical criterion. Based on the fact that different species may differ in the amino acid composition of proteins. At the same time, there is protein polymorphism within a species (for example, intraspecific variability of many enzymes), and different species may have similar proteins.

6. Cytogenetic (karyotypic) criterion. It is based on the fact that each species is characterized by a certain karyotype - the number and shape of metaphase chromosomes. For example, all durum wheat has 28 chromosomes in the diploid set, and all soft wheat has 42 chromosomes. However, different species can have very similar karyotypes: for example, most species of the cat family have 2n=38. At the same time, chromosomal polymorphism can be observed within one species. For example, moose of Eurasian subspecies have 2n=68, and moose of North American species have 2n=70 (in the karyotype of North American moose there are 2 less metacentrics and 4 more acrocentrics). Some species have chromosomal races, for example, the black rat has 42 chromosomes (Asia, Mauritius), 40 chromosomes (Ceylon) and 38 chromosomes (Oceania).

7. Reproductive criterion. It is based on the fact that individuals of the same species can interbreed with each other to form fertile offspring similar to their parents, and individuals of different species living together do not interbreed, or their offspring are infertile.

However, it is known that interspecific hybridization is often common in nature: in many plants (for example, willow), a number of species of fish, amphibians, birds and mammals (for example, wolves and dogs). At the same time, within the same species there can be groups that are reproductively isolated from each other.

8. Ethological criterion. Associated with interspecific differences in behavior in animals. In birds, song analysis is widely used to recognize species. Depending on the nature of the sounds produced, different types of insects differ. Different types North American fireflies vary in the frequency and color of their light flashes.

9. Historical (evolutionary) criterion. Based on the study of the history of a group of closely related species. This criterion is complex in nature, since it includes comparative analysis modern ranges of species (geographical criterion), comparative analysis of genomes (molecular genetic criterion), comparative analysis of cytogenomes (cytogenetic criterion) and others.

None of the considered species criteria is the main or most important. To clearly separate species, it is necessary to carefully study them according to all criteria.

Due to unequal environmental conditions, individuals of the same species within the range break up into smaller units - populations. In reality, a species exists precisely in the form of populations.

Species are monotypic - with a poorly differentiated internal structure, they are characteristic of endemics. Polytypic species are distinguished by a complex intraspecific structure.

Within species, subspecies can be distinguished - geographically or ecologically isolated parts of the species, individuals of which, under the influence of environmental factors in the process of evolution, acquired stable morphophysiological characteristics that distinguish them from other parts of this species. In nature, individuals of different subspecies of the same species can freely interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

Species name

The scientific name of a species is binomial, that is, it consists of two words: the name of the genus to which the species belongs, and a second word, called the species epithet in botany, and the species name in zoology. The first word is a noun in singular; the second is either an adjective in nominative case, agreed in gender (masculine, feminine or neuter) with the generic name, or a noun in genitive case. The first word is written with capital letter, the second - with lowercase.

• Petasites fragrans- scientific name of a species of flowering plants from the genus Butterbur ( Petasites) (Russian name species - fragrant butterbur). The adjective is used as a specific epithet fragrans("fragrant").
• Petasites fominii- the scientific name of another species from the same genus (Russian name - Butterbur Fomina). The Latinized surname (in the genitive case) of the botanist Alexander Vasilyevich Fomin (1869-1935), a researcher of the flora of the Caucasus, was used as a specific epithet.

Sometimes entries are also used to designate unspecified taxa at species rank:

• Petasites sp.- the entry indicates that it means a taxon at the rank of species, belonging to the genus Petasites.
• Petasites spp.- the entry means that all taxa at the rank of species included in the genus are meant Petasites(or all other taxa at the rank of species included in the genus Petasites, but not included in any given list of such taxa).