While in South America, you come across what you think are two groups of birds in the same location. They are nearly identical aside from their color. After years of observation, you conclude that the birds eat similar diets and share similar behaviors but do not reproduce with each other. Are these two groups of birds the same or different species? Explain. - two different species on the basis of reproductive behavior.

Question

Biology

Joselyn Bonilla

24 April, 18:05

While in South America, you come across what you think are two groups of birds in the same location. They are nearly identical aside from their color. After years of observation, you conclude that the birds eat similar diets and share similar behaviors but do not reproduce with each other. Are these two groups of birds the same or different species? Explain. - two different species on the basis of reproductive behavior.

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Answers (1)

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Kendall Brennan · Answer 1

The two groups of birds are of different species

Explanation:

According to the biological species concept, members of the same species would interbreed successfully to produce viable offspring that are fertile. This concept explains that appearance alone is not enough to use as a yardstick to determine is two groups belong to the same species, and that reproductive barriers tend to make it impossible or both species to interbreed successfully and produce viable and fertile offspring.

On the basis of reproductive behavior, we can conclude that these two groups of birds that are identical, are of different species since they are unable to reproduce with each other.

It is on this same basis that a horse and a donkey is being considered as different species even though they were able to interbreed to produce an offspring, however, the offspring are sterile. They are not considered the same species according to the biological species concept.