The Renewing Species, General Population-Genetic Explanation of Species Phenomenon for Syngamic and Agamic Species
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Biological Faculty, Department of Biological Evolution,
Russia 119991 Moscow, Leninskie Gory, 1, Bldg. 12
*e-mail: pxemon@gmail.com
A general population-genetic mechanism is proposed, which explains the existence of species as sustainably reproducing groups of similar organisms: genetic renewal as a result of genetic drift or selection, which limits genetic diversity within a population. As opposed to conceptions explaining species integrity via cross breeding, genetic renewal by drift and selection explains species existence not only in syngamic (i.e., sexually reproducing) organisms but in agamic (asexually reproducing) ones as well. Notions of population, isolation, and species are defined in terms of genetic renewal. The proposed conception of renewing species stems from and is a development of cohesive species concept by Alan Templeton.
