11-13-2013, 11:22 AM
"Plant breeding is within a species in traditional breeding"
Excuse me? We have between 300 and 400 vireya rhododendron hybrids at the nursery that are nearly all the result of crosses between rhododendron species, not within species. Further, many of the advances in disease and insect resistance in traditional plant breeding (as well as GMO) comes by crossing (i.e., taking genes from) primitive landrace ancestor species and mixing with their already highly crossed descendants, today's fruits and vegetables. Let's not even get into the introduction of genomic material into plants and animals by viruses and bacteria.
You may be thinking of the definition of species commonly used with animals where inability to interbreed is the traditional criteria. Actually, with our advances in genetics, the academic concept of species, at least in plants, is changing significantly these days. Darwin's knowledge of species was primitive compared what is today known of the genetic basis of phylogenesis, the evolution and diversification of organisms, which I do know something about having written a couple of articles on the topic.
Excuse me? We have between 300 and 400 vireya rhododendron hybrids at the nursery that are nearly all the result of crosses between rhododendron species, not within species. Further, many of the advances in disease and insect resistance in traditional plant breeding (as well as GMO) comes by crossing (i.e., taking genes from) primitive landrace ancestor species and mixing with their already highly crossed descendants, today's fruits and vegetables. Let's not even get into the introduction of genomic material into plants and animals by viruses and bacteria.
You may be thinking of the definition of species commonly used with animals where inability to interbreed is the traditional criteria. Actually, with our advances in genetics, the academic concept of species, at least in plants, is changing significantly these days. Darwin's knowledge of species was primitive compared what is today known of the genetic basis of phylogenesis, the evolution and diversification of organisms, which I do know something about having written a couple of articles on the topic.