Paraspecies

A paraspecies (a paraphyletic species) is a species, living or fossil, that gave rise to one or more daughter species without itself becoming extinct[1]. The concept of a paraspecies emerges naturally from the Evolutionary Species Concept [2]. Geographically widespread species that have given rise to one or more daughter species as peripheral isolates without themselves becoming extinct (i.e. through peripatric speciation) are examples of paraspecies [3].

Paraspecies are expected from evolutionary theory (Crisp and Chandler, 1996), and are empirical realities in many terrestrial and aquatic taxa (e.g. Patton and Smith, 1989[4]; Bell and Foster, 1994.[5]; Crisp and Chandler, 1996[6]; Funk and Omland, 2003.[7]; Albert et al., 2004[8][9]; Turner et al., 2004[10]; Hoskin, 2007[11]; Feinstein, 2008[12]; Lozier et al., 2008[13]). The evolution of the polar bear from the brown bear is a well-documented example of a living species that gave rise to another living species.[14][15] Another possible example of a living paraspecies is the North Island tuatara Sphenodon punctatus, which gave rise to the Brothers Island tuatara Sphenodon guntheri[16].

Notes and references

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  1. ^ James S. Albert; Roberto E. Reis (8 March 2011). Historical Biogeography of Neotropical Freshwater Fishes. University of California Press. p. 308. http://books.google.com/books?id=_Suu7a-ERdMC&pg=PA308#v=onepage&q=paraspecies&f=false. Retrieved 28 June 2011. 
  2. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species
  3. ^ Ackery, P. R., and R. I. Vane-Wright. 1984. Milkweed Butterflies: Their Cladistics and Biology. Cornell University Press, Ithaca. 425 pp.
  4. ^ Patton, J. L., and M. F. Smith. 1989. Population structure and the genetic and morphologic divergence among pocket gopher species (Genus Thomomys). Pp. 284-304 in: Speciation and its Consequences (D. Otte and J. A. Endler, eds.). Sinauer Associates, Sunderland.
  5. ^ Bell, M. A., and S. A. Foster. 1994. The Evolutionary Biology of the Threespine Stickleback. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  6. ^ Crisp, M. D., and G. T. Chandler. 1996. Paraphyletic species. Telopea 6: 813-844.
  7. ^ Funk, D. J., and K. E. Omland. 2003. Species-level paraphyly and polyphyly: Frequency, causes, and consequences, with insights from animal mitochondrial DNA. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 34: 397-423.
  8. ^ Albert, J. S., W. G. R. Crampton, D. H. Thorsen, and N. R. Lovejoy. 2004. Phylogenetic systematics and historical biogeography of the Neotropical electric fish Gymnotus (Teleostei: Gymnotidae). Systematics and Biodiversity 2: 375-417.
  9. ^ http://www.ucs.louisiana.edu/~jxa4003/Publications.html
  10. ^ Turner, T. F., M. V. McPhee, P. Campbell, and K. O. Winemiller. 2004. Phylogeography and intraspecific genetic variation of prochilodontid fishes endemic to rivers of northern South America. Journal of Fish Biology 64: 186-201.
  11. ^ Hoskin, C. J. 2007. Description, biology and conservation of a new species of Australian tree frog (Amphibia: Anura: Hylidae: Litoria) and an assessment of the remaining populations of Litoria genimaculata Horst, 1883: systematic and conservation implications of an unusual speciation event. Biological Journal of the Linnaean Society 91: 549-563.
  12. ^ Feinstein, J. 2008. Molecular systematics and historical biogeography of the Black-browed Barbet species complex (Megalaima oorti). Ibis 150: 40-49.
  13. ^ Lozier, J. D., R. Foottit, G. Miller, N. Mills, and G. Roderick. 2008. Molecular and morphological evaluation of the aphid genus Hyalopterus Koch (Insecta: Hemiptera: Aphididae), with a description of a new species. Zootaxa 1688: 1-19.
  14. ^ http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Polar_bears_related_to_extinct_Irish_bears,_DNA_study_shows
  15. ^ http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982211006452
  16. ^ Lutz, Dick (2005). Tuatara: A Living Fossil. Salem, Oregon: DIMI PRESS. ISBN 0-931625-43-2