Back to required readings

Extra readings which are referred to or directly related to the assigned readings for Sept 21st:

Coyne and Orr's chapter from Speciation (2004) and Velasco (2008) both refer to a piece which defends the BSC against the charge that it distorts evolutionary history.

  • Harrison, R. (1998), Linking Evolutionary Pattern and Process: The Relevance of Species Concepts for the Study of Speciation

    • Baum and Donoghue (1995) refers to Phylogenetic Species Concepts which are historical in nature. They give just one example for discussion - a PSC based on gene tree concordance. This view was first developed in Baum and Shaw (1995). Less strict and so improved versions have been discussed a few times since, most recently in Baum (2009) and Velasco (2010).

  • Baum, D. and Shaw, K. (1995), Genealogical Perspectives on the Species Problem
  • Baum, D. (2009), Species as Ranked Taxa
  • Velasco, J.D. (2010), Species, Genes, and the Tree of Life

    • Velasco (2008) criticizes an argument from LaPorte (2005). LaPorte responds (indirectly by responding to a number of objections) in LaPorte (2009).

  • LaPorte, J. (2005), Is There a Single, Objective Evolutionary Tree of Life?
  • LaPorte, J. (2009), On Systematists' Single Objective Tree of Ancestors and Descendants

    • Finally, Coyne and Orr (2004) contains an Appendix which has criticisms of a number of alternative species concepts including three versions of the PSC.

  • Coyne, J. and Orr, H. A. (2004), Speciation (Appendix)