Which factor or factors contribute to the biological definition of a species? (one answer or multiple answers possible)

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First, I’ll restate the question and options to set the context for analysis.
Question: Which factor or factors contribute to the biological definition of a species? (one answer or multiple answers possible)
Answer options:
- A: Individuals share similar behaviors and environmental adaptations, keeping their group distinct from other populations.
- B: Individuals within a species can interbreed with each other, producing offspring that are also capable of reproducing themselves.
- C: Individuals are close enough in a physical territory to allow gene exchange, which helps maintain overall similarity of traits but permits some variation.
- D: Individuals are generally found in defined geographic zones, although overlap with other groups may occur without merging into one population.
- E: Individuals in a species have consistent mating strategies that align with other populations, ensuring similar traits across generations.

Option A: This choice emphasizes behavior and environmental adaptations as the basis for species distinctness. While behavior and ecology can influence species formation and maintenance, the biological species concept centers on reproductive isolation and interbreeding potential rather than solely on behavior or environmental differences. Therefore, this option alone does not define a species biologically.

Option B: This statement captures a core tenet of the Biological Species Concept: individuals within a species can interbreed and produce offspring that are themselves capable of reproducing. This reproductive compatibility and the ability to generate fertile offspring is the key criterion used to define a species in this concept, making this option correct.

Option C: Gene exchange through proximity and occasional interbreeding can occur when populations are near each other, but this description emphasizes geographic proximity and some ongoing gene flow rather than a strict reproductive isolation criterion. It does not directly state the essential reproductive compatibility component, so it’s not the definitive biological species criterion.

Option D: Geographic distribution and zone delineation are biogeographic observations, not the defining reproductive criterion of a species. Overlaps in range or geographic boundaries do not inherently establish species boundaries in the biological sense, so this option is not the defining factor.

Option E: Consistent mating strategies across populations can influence reproductive success, but similar mating strategies alone do not establish that two groups are the same species. The critical feature is whether interbreeding occurs and yields fertile offspring, not merely consistent mating behavior across populations. Thus this option is not the defining factor.

In summary, Option B is the correct factor under the Biological Species Concept because it directly embodies the ability of members of a population to interbreed and produce fertile offspring, which is the central criterion used to delineate species biologically. The other options describe related ideas (behavior, geography, or mating tactics) that can be associated with populations but do not constitute the core reproductive isolation criterion that defines a species in the biological sense.

ANTH101 #73038 Online (Fall 2025) Exam 1

Which factor or factors contribute to the biological definition of a species? (one answer or multiple answers possible)

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