Fruit flies all look more or less alike. If you have a male and female fruit fly, how could you test the hypothesis that they're the same species?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The best way to test if two fruit flies are the same species is to observe if they mate and if their offspring can also mate. If they can produce viable offspring that can also mate, then they are likely the same species. This is known as the biological species concept. Genetic sequencing (A) may also be helpful in confirming their species, but observing mating and reproduction is a more direct test. Examining them under a microscope (B) may help identify physical characteristics that are common to a particular species, but this may not always be reliable.

Fruit Flies All Look More or Less Alike