Assessment Questions 5.8

1. How is a species traditionally defined, and what criteria are mentioned in the passage?

Traditionally, a species is defined by the capacity of individual males and females to mate and produce fertile offspring. The criteria include the ability of fertile males and females within a species to mate and produce offspring that also have the capacity to reproduce when mating with other members of the same species.

2. What complication arises in defining species based on the traditional criteria, and how is it described in the passage?

The complication in defining species arises from the fact that there is some bleed-through between adjacent species, especially when they are closely related genetically. While there are impenetrable borders between populations, there are instances where different species can mate and produce offspring. However, these offspring are often sterile, unable to have their own offspring.

3. What examples are provided in the passage to illustrate the complication in defining species?

The passage mentions examples such as horses and donkeys, lions and tigers (ligers and tigons), which are hybrids resulting from the mating of different species. In these cases, the offspring are sterile, highlighting the complexity of defining species based on traditional criteria.