Emergent features of species: existence between populations and communities

Abstract

The key block of tasks in defining species as a phenomenon, as a concept, and as a category — its emergent features, is considered. These include 5 systems of features, such as 1) diagnosis (primarily morphological, including unique apomorphies); 2) genotype in the broadest sense (including karyotype); 3) system of reproduction and protection of the gene pool from mixing with foreign forms (reproductive isolation); 4) geographical range (including type habitats and distribution limits); 5) system of variability (including the presence and features of age-related changes, sexual differences, and trends in geographical variation). There is evidence that species as a reality is characterized by the properties of "repeating structures". To the latter the author includes the following six: 1) limited volumes of species composition of communities; 2) limited body-size rows of guilds; 3) parallelisms and the phenomenon of isomorphism; 4) limited number of ecotypes and the phenomenon of vicariates; 5) homeomorphies and restrictions of morphological types; 6) synperates as overlaps of range boundaries. Areas of non-alternative application of the concept of "species", including red lists, checklists, descriptions of unique parts of communities (endemics, rarities, etc.), and objects of economic value are given.