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New insights into the species problem

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Abstract

Historical opinions of the “species problem” are briefly reviewed, and four salient stages are recognized according to origin of species concepts. We propose that species is the unit preserving superior gene assembly and is maintained by specific mechanisms. Based on characteristics of plant evolution, we assume that understanding plant species may include three stages, i.e. morphological recognition stage, multidisciplinary verification stage, and illuminating mechanisms preserving superior gene assembly.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China

    Yong Yang

  2. Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Biogeography, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204, China

    ZheKun Zhou

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  1. Yong Yang
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Correspondence to Yong Yang.

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Yang, Y., Zhou, Z. New insights into the species problem. Sci. China Life Sci. 53, 964–972 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-010-4037-x

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