Uploaded March 2016 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
New species of lifeforms are being discovered and described on our planet every single day -- but, when we talk about a species, what are we really referring to? Turns out, the answer is... complicated.
This video is by no means comprehensive. Species concepts are some of the most complex and, at times, controversial topics in biology. This video ought to serve as your window down into the rabbit hole. If you're interested in this sort of thing, check out some of the articles below!
Why should we care about species?
nature.com/scitable/topicpage/why-should-we-care-about-species-4277923
'A list of 26 species 'Concepts''
scienceblogs.com/evolvingthoughts/2006/10/01/a-list-of-26-species-concepts
The 'Open Tree of Life'
tree.opentreeoflife.org/opentree/opentree4.0@1/cellular-organisms
Amorous turtles:
rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2012/06/15/rsbl.2012.0361.full
'Virgin Birth' by shark confirmed; second case ever
sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081010173054.htm
big BIG BIG thanks to Drs Caleb McMahan, Olivier Rieppel, and Joyce Havstad for helping this script come together. Your feedback was much appreciated!
Thanks to Matthew Young and everyone else at The Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for the meadowlark calls and footage!
Video footage c/o Timothy Barksdale, Jay W. McGowan, and audio by Wilbur Hershberger.
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Come hang out in our Subreddit: reddit.com/r/thebrainscoop
Twitters: @ehmee
Facebook: facebook.com/thebrainscoop
Tumblr: thebrainscoop.tumblr.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Producer, Writer, Creator, Host:
Emily Graslie
Producer, Editor, Camera, Graphics:
Brandon Brungard
---------------------------------------------------------------------
This episode is supported by and filmed on location at:
The Field Museum in Chicago, IL
(http://www.fieldmuseum.org)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
New species of lifeforms are being discovered and described on our planet every single day -- but, when we talk about a species, what are we really referring to? Turns out, the answer is... complicated.
This video is by no means comprehensive. Species concepts are some of the most complex and, at times, controversial topics in biology. This video ought to serve as your window down into the rabbit hole. If you're interested in this sort of thing, check out some of the articles below!
Why should we care about species?
nature.com/scitable/topicpage/why-should-we-care-about-species-4277923
'A list of 26 species 'Concepts''
scienceblogs.com/evolvingthoughts/2006/10/01/a-list-of-26-species-concepts
The 'Open Tree of Life'
tree.opentreeoflife.org/opentree/opentree4.0@1/cellular-organisms
Amorous turtles:
rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2012/06/15/rsbl.2012.0361.full
'Virgin Birth' by shark confirmed; second case ever
sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/10/081010173054.htm
big BIG BIG thanks to Drs Caleb McMahan, Olivier Rieppel, and Joyce Havstad for helping this script come together. Your feedback was much appreciated!
Thanks to Matthew Young and everyone else at The Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for the meadowlark calls and footage!
Video footage c/o Timothy Barksdale, Jay W. McGowan, and audio by Wilbur Hershberger.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Come hang out in our Subreddit: reddit.com/r/thebrainscoop
Twitters: @ehmee
Facebook: facebook.com/thebrainscoop
Tumblr: thebrainscoop.tumblr.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Producer, Writer, Creator, Host:
Emily Graslie
Producer, Editor, Camera, Graphics:
Brandon Brungard
---------------------------------------------------------------------
This episode is supported by and filmed on location at:
The Field Museum in Chicago, IL
(http://www.fieldmuseum.org)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
