Species

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/species

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How many people live in Species?Over 8 billion individuals worldwide
2. What is the scientific name?Homo sapiens
3. What is the habitat?Global distribution, inhabiting diverse environments from urban areas to remote wilderness
4. How do scientists decide if two animals are the same species?Scientists look at whether animals can interbreed, how their genes flow, and if there are barriers that keep them from breeding with other groups. They also compare DNA, shapes, and histories.
5. Why are many different species important for the environment?Many species help keep ecosystems strong by moving nutrients, pollinating flowers, and keeping pests in check. When many kinds exist, the environment can better handle changes like drought.

Reproductive Isolation: Mechanisms that prevent members of different species from producing fertile offspring.
Speciation: The evolutionary process by which new biological species arise.
Taxonomy: The scientific discipline of naming, defining, and classifying groups of biological organisms.