(a) What is meant by a species? Give two examples of plant species and two of animals.
(b) State the various factors which could lead to the formation of new species.
(a) A species is a population of organisms consisting of similar individuals which can breed together and produce fertile offspring’s.
Plant species - Wheat, Paddy, Sunflower etc.
Animal species - Cat, Dog, Tiger, etc.
(b) The important factors which could lead to the rise (or formation) of a new species are the following:
1. Geographical isolation of a population caused by various types of barriers (such as mountain ranges, rivers and sea). The geographical isolation leads to reproductive isolation due to which there is no flow of genes between separated groups of population.
2. Genetic drift caused by drastic changes in the frequencies of particular genes by chance alone.
3. Variations caused in individuals due to natural selection.