The Renewing Species. A Common Population-Genetic Explanation of Species Phenomena for Sexual and Asexual Organisms


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Abstract

I suggest a common population genetic mechanism that explains persistence of biological species as consistently reproducing groups of similar organisms: genetic renewal due to genetic drift or selection, which restricts genetic diversity of populations. In contrast to concepts explaining species integrity via interbreeding, the concept of drift- and selection-induced genetic renewal explains species existence not only for sexually reproducing organisms, but also for asexual, or agamous, organisms. I redefine concepts of population, isolation and species in terms of genetic renewal. The proposed concept of renewing species develops Alan Templeton’s cohesion species concept.

About the authors

A. Pshenichnov

Department of Biological Evolution, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University

Author for correspondence.
Email: pxemon@gmail.com
Russian Federation, Moscow, 119991

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