Theoretical and material species and the concept of speciesness (about the reality of species, types of species and their diversity)

Self Cite

The system of views on the structure of geographic ranges of species (superspecies) and their dynamics as one of the key features of species and the basis of taxonomic differentiation and evolution is considered. The mechanisms leading to the formation of new taxa in several ways are analysed, including (1) the formation of transitive taxonomic systems (TTS), in which spatial differentiation leads to the formation of geographically differentiated races as ‘small’ species; (2) the formation of new geographical races in relation to the maternal species (plesions), distributed within the primary ranges; (3) the formation of sibling species as a result of dispersal of one ‘small’ species into the range of the sister species. All such groups of ‘small’ species coexist in time and illustrate models that correspond to E. E. Reclus’s view of ‘geography is history in space.’ A number of illustrative cases discovered in the analysis of the taxonomic heterogeneity of different groups of mammals of the European fauna or the Palaearctic as a whole are considered. In particular, there were analysed the features of spatial-taxonomic differentiation in allospecies complexes that fall under the definition of TTS, in which the distribution of allospecies reflects the patterns of spatial differentiation of the ‘large’ species over time (phylogeographic patterns). Similar complexes have been demonstrated on the example of ground squirrels, birch mice, and wood mice. The formation of TTS, as well as new forms as a result of invasions into new ranges (or dispersal to ranges of adjacent forms) is considered within the amplificative species concept (ASCo), according to which specialization occurs not as a result of reduction of both the range and variability (classic models with founder effect or bottleneck), but in the phase of flourishing of the species, in particular when new populations emerge outside the initial natural ranges due to expansions or invasions. The invasive model of speciation was formed based on this idea, and a partial example of it is the formation of sympatric pairs of sibling species formed as a result of secondary sympatry, i.e. expansion. Examples from other groups, in particular regarding the formation of compilospecies and other variants of hybridogenic taxa provoked by introductions or invasions, are considered. All this is viewed through the prism of the concept of speciesness as the level of achievement of evolutionary separateness.

Section: термінологічні заувагиunclassified

Section: автохтони й алохтони крізь призму поняття видunclassified

Section: ампліфікаційна модельunclassified

See 1 more Smart Citation

Transitive taxonomic systems (TTS) and speciation during range dynamics

Загороднюк

2021

Self Cite

On species, its reality and types of species

Загороднюк¹

2021

An analysis of the concept of "species" in view of the reality of its existence in the theoretical constructions of eidologists and in the practice of research and description of biotic diversity (BD) is presented. The work includes five main sections. The first considers the concept of species as a designation of individuality (speciesness) in the structure of BD. The etymology and connotations of the terms that were used previously or are used now to denote the category of eidos in Ukrainian, English, and related to Ukrainian Slavic languages are considered (genus, specie[s], kind). The significant influence of the connotative load on dominant species concepts and, in particular, the stable and long-lasting predominance of typology is noted in works of scientists of the 20th century, after the introduction of the term “species”. In the second part, the issue of reality of species and the phenomenon of diversity of its realities, in particular different realities in different contexts, are analysed. It is postulated that the reality of the concept of species is actually determined by the concept of separateness (individuality), three distinct forms of which are proposed: morphological (mostly in museum collections), phyletic (in phylogenetic studies), and biotic (within communities). The third section "On kinds of species and the diversity of species concepts" is devoted to the analysis of systems that describe the diversity of species as concepts, including species categories, kinds (classes) of species, and types of species. The fourth section "Emergent properties of species" discusses emergence and key features of species common for most concepts, as well as biosemiotics as one of the systems for maintaining the integrity of species. Finally, the last (fifth) section deals with the one-dimensional model of "species", the actual concept of "species within a community", when a species is defined not through the closest sister forms (with which it essentially does not intersect anywhere), but through other species with which it is part of the same guilds and communities. It is shown that this aspect of consideration of a species is the closest to its initial interpretation as an object of actual BD within local or regional biotic communities, in which the species is determined through other species with which it coexists and interacts. This significantly distinguishes the species as an element of BD among other interpretations, especially of the phyletic type, in which the species is determined not through ecosystem interactions with sympatric species, but through sister taxa.

Collections of felids (Felidae) in natural history museums of Ukraine and their importance in knowledge dissemination on nature

Загороднюк¹,

Kharchuk²,

Ulyura³

et al. 2022

The study is devoted to the analysis of collections of the felid family, which are housed in natural history museums of Ukraine, two academic and eight university. The basics of the modern taxonomy of felids are considered with the vernacular names of tribes, genera and their type species, which is important for the unification of exhibition and catalogue information. For each of the considered museums, four blocks of data are presented: a general summary for the collection, presentation of particularly valuable or unique specimens, and description of the exhibition and scientific collections. The most complete felid collections (in terms of the number of specimens) are housed in the Museum of Nature of Kharkiv University (109 specimens), in the National Museum of Natural History (152 specimens), and in the Zoological Museum of Odesa University (66 specimens); in other collections the amount of material is much smaller (7–36 specimens). The total volume of collections of this family reaches 460 specimens of 21 species of 12 genera (out of 14 living). The examples of materials important for the dissemination of knowledge about this group are given, from folklore to important and interesting scientific facts for the general public. For all species, there is an organised catalogue, classified by tribe, genus, and species (all alphabetically), in which key information about the available specimens is given for each museum. Such information for each species is arranged according to the scheme ‘museum, location, number of samples, collection numbers and types of specimens, date, and collector or preparator.’ The present study is the first such generalisation of zoological collections of Ukraine, the experience of which can be extended to other groups of animals. The development of this study showed a high interest of colleagues in such generalisations, which clearly activate the attention of museum workers, researchers of variability and diversity, potential museum visitors and society to the topic of the selected focus groups and activation of exhibiting and research work in relation to those groups.