Groups of organisms with shared traits. Variation between members of a species is an important factor for evolution. If all individuals in a population were identical, there would be no way of some individuals being favoured more than others.
Morphological species concept
A species is a group of organisms with shared traits based on morphology and external features. Describing species based on how they look (morphology). The morphological species concept can be very misleading for identifying species as often two species look similar but have evolved differently for a very long time. While useful, the morphological concept does not account for genetic variability or interbreeding capabilities.
Modern species concepts may incorporate genetic, ecological, and reproductive data.
Biological species concept
A species is a group of organisms that can breed and produce fertile offspring, it relies on behavioural information and emphasizes reproductive isolation between groups
Ecological species concept
A species is a group of organisms that is adapted to a particular set of resources (niche) and its abiotic and biotic factors, it relies on detailed information on relationships between species and environment
Linnaean System
Carl Linnaeus: An 18th-century botanist who is known as the father of modern taxonomy.
Morphological Species Concept: Linnaeus classified organisms based on shared morphological (physical) traits, such as structure, shape, and size.
