Why does Ernst Mayr's biological species concept NOT apply to Archaea and Bacteria?
A)Prokaryotic organisms are too small to track in natural environments.
B)Archaea and Bacteria have circular chromosomes.
C)Many Bacteria and Archaea live in environments where oxygen is absent.
D)Bacteria and Archaea do not have life cycles characterized by meiosis and fertilization.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Ernst Mayr's biological species concept defines a species as a group of actually or potentially interbreeding natural populations that are reproductively isolated from other such groups. However, bacteria and archaea do not have a typical sexual reproduction process involving meiosis and fertilization, making it difficult to apply this concept to them. Therefore, the biological species concept does not apply to prokaryotic organisms.

Why Does Ernst Mayr's Biological Species Concept NOT Apply to Archaea