Species: A Modest Propasal 33

and at a single time. An alternative version of this conception of a species

appeals to specific mate recognition systems: species are bounded by mate
recognition systems (Paterson 1985). These recognition systems result in
genetically isolated populations.

Ecological species
A group of organisms that shares the same adaptive niche (van Valen 1976).
The fundamental claim here is that the stability of a species rests primarily
on ecological factors rather than on genetic isolation (Ereshefsky 2001, 87).
This conception has the advantage of applying equally well to sexual and
asexual species, but at the cost of resting on the controversial notion of an
ecological niche.

Cohesion species
A group of organisms forming a cohesive lineage (Templeton 1989). The
fact that asexual species form bifurcating lineages tells us that there are
nonsexual mechanisms causing coherence of discrete lineages (Templeton
1998); mechanisms that sometimes break down in speciation events. This
species concept demotes genetic isolation, acknowledging it as just one of
the factors that promote the cohesion of lineages.

Phylogenetic and evolutionary species

As with cohesion species, phylogenetic and evolutionary species concepts
are agnostic as to particular processes that produce speciation. However,
here the diagnostic test is evolutionary rather than ecological. Evolutionary
species are lineages of organisms with their “own evolutionary tendencies
and historical fate” (Wiley 1978).

Cladistic species
Cladistic definitions identify species with clades of organisms with distinct
taxonomic characters (Mishler and Donoghue 1982; Cracraft 1983; Ridley
1989). For example, a monophyletic species is the least inclusive monophy-
letic group that shares at least one unique characteristic. These definitions
have a striking consequence that many find profoundly counterintuitive;
any lineage splitting whatever causes the ancestor species to go extinct.
The domestic cat becomes extinct if a pair of cats marooned on an island
establishes a population with a single distinctive characteristic.

Evolutionary, phylogenetic, and cladistic species concepts tie species-

hood to the bifurcation of evolving lineages. But they are deliberately
agnostic about the causes of the speciation events that give rise to phy-
logenetic structure. They stand or fall by the strength of that pattern
and by the utility of the cladistic methods that detect it. But while these