Species: the concept, category and taxon

The term species by itself is vague because it refers to the species concept, the species category and the species taxon, all of which are distinct although related to one another. The species concept is not primarily a part of systematics, but has always been an integral part of basic biological theory, It is based on evolutionary theory and applies only to sexually reproducing organisms. The species concept and the phyletic lineage concept are quite distinct although they are related to one another. The important aspect of the species concept is lack of gene flow between different species, and hence the defining criterion of the species is genetic isolation. The species concept is often considered as non‐dimensional, both in time and space. Species possess three different major properties, namely genetic isolation, reproductive isolation and ecological isolation; these properties evolve at different times and under the effect of different causes during the speciation process. Speciation requires an external isolating barrier during the initial allopatric phase in which genetic isolation evolves and must reach 100% efficiency. The subsequent sympatric phase of speciation occurs after the disappearance of the external isolating barrier when members of the two newly evolved species can interact with one another and exert mutual selective demands on one another. Much of the reproductive and ecological isolation evolves during this secondary sympatric phase. The species category is a rank in the taxonomic hierarchy and serves as the basis on which the diversity of organisms is described; it is not the same as the species concept. The species category applied to all organisms, sexually and asexually reproducing. The species taxon is the practical application of the species category in systematics with the recognition of species taxa requiring many arbitrary decisions. No single set of rules exist by which the species category can be applied to all organisms. Recognition of species taxa in asexually reproducing organisms is based on amount of variation and gaps in the variation of phenotypic features associated with ecological attributes of these organisms as compared with similar attributes in sympatric species taxa of sexually reproducing organisms. Species taxa are multidimensional in that they exist over space–time and often have fuzzy borders. Because recognition of species taxa, including those in sexually reproducing organisms, depends on many arbitrary decisions especially when dealing with broad geographical and temporal ranges, species taxa cannot be used as the foundation for developing and testing theoretical concepts in evolutionary theory which can only be done with the non‐dimensional species concept.