In the western United States, populations of an annual plant can be found almost continuously from San Diego to Seattle.Even though individuals from the San Diego and Seattle populations never come into contact, they can still be considered part of the same species under the ________ species concept because they can potentially interbreed.

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The biological species concept defines a species as a group of individuals that can potentially interbreed and produce viable offspring. Even though the San Diego and Seattle populations may never come into contact, they are still considered part of the same species because they have the potential to interbreed. The morphological species concept focuses on physical characteristics, the lineage species concept emphasizes evolutionary relationships, the habitat species concept emphasizes ecological niches, and the reinforcement species concept emphasizes reproductive isolation between populations. None of these concepts are as relevant to this scenario as the biological species concept.

In the Western United States, Populations of an Annual Plant