The Renewing Species. A Common Population-Genetic Explanation of Species Phenomena for Sexual and Asexual Organisms

Abstract

I suggest a common population genetic mechanism that explains persistence of biological species as consistently reproducing groups of similar organisms: genetic renewal due to genetic drift or selection, which restricts genetic diversity of populations. In contrast to concepts explaining species integrity via interbreeding, the concept of drift- and selection-induced genetic renewal explains species existence not only for sexually reproducing organisms, but also for asexual, or agamous, organisms. I redefine concepts of population, isolation and species in terms of genetic renewal. The proposed concept of renewing species develops Alan Templeton’s cohesion species concept.