BRAINCAKELimitations of Species Models
Every species model has limitations, so no single definition works for all organisms.
Biological species concept
• It cannot be applied to organisms that reproduce asexually, such as bacteria and some plants, because they do not interbreed.
• It cannot be applied to fossils: extinct organisms cannot be tested for interbreeding.
• Some organisms classed as different species can produce fertile hybrids. Many plants hybridise, and wolves and coyotes can produce fertile offspring.
• It is often impractical to test whether wild populations that live far apart could interbreed.
Sign in free to see the rest of this lesson, the R.E.C.I.P.E. recall steps and the quiz
BrainCake is free. Make an account in seconds and pick up where this page stops.
More in Classification
- Species
- Morphological Concept of Species
- Biological Concept of Species
- Other Species Models
- Identifying a Species
- DNA Barcode
- DNA Analysis and Proteomics
- New Evolutionary Models
All 19 lessons in Classification · All Edexcel AS-level Biology topics