What term describes a group of similar organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring?

What term describes a group of similar organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring?

• A. Genus
• B. Population
• C. Species
• D. Clade

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is the biological species concept: a species is a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce offspring capable of again reproducing. This means that members of the same species share reproductive compatibility, while different species are reproductively isolated from one another. So, when you see a term for a group of organisms that can mate and have fertile offspring, that term is species. A genus, by contrast, groups together related species, but it doesn’t specify whether members can interbreed. A population refers to the individuals of a single species living in a particular area. A clade is a branch of the evolutionary tree defined by a common ancestor, not by their ability to interbreed.

The main idea here is the biological species concept: a species is a group of organisms that can interbreed and produce offspring capable of again reproducing. This means that members of the same species share reproductive compatibility, while different species are reproductively isolated from one another. So, when you see a term for a group of organisms that can mate and have fertile offspring, that term is species.

A genus, by contrast, groups together related species, but it doesn’t specify whether members can interbreed. A population refers to the individuals of a single species living in a particular area. A clade is a branch of the evolutionary tree defined by a common ancestor, not by their ability to interbreed.