species vs variety, more accurately "Lauren Riesberg, in her extensive writings addressing speciation and hybridization, cited Mayr’s definition of a species as “groups of interbreeding natural populations reproductively isolated from other such groups.” However, species that are not geographically isolated have been known to interbreed and produce hybrid offspring. Wikipedia defines a variety as a genetically, and in turn, morphologically distinct subset of a species that is geographically isolated from other populations within that species. However, when the geographic barrier is removed, this subset interbreeds with the rest of the species, resulting in an influx of genes that erodes the variety’s distinct features, thus reintegrating it into the greater species group. With this in mind, I distinguish species and varieties based on the fact that a hybrid of two species produces offspring with reduced fertility, such as malformed pollen grains, while a hybrid of two subspecific varieties produces offspring that show no such deformities and reflects the traits of the original species." blogs.sandiegozoo.org/2011/11/29/what-is-the-difference-between-a-species-and-a-variety/
Patrick Whitefield. Thanks Patrick - miss your wisdom.
species vs variety, more accurately
"Lauren Riesberg, in her extensive writings addressing speciation and hybridization, cited Mayr’s definition of a species as “groups of interbreeding natural populations reproductively isolated from other such groups.” However, species that are not geographically isolated have been known to interbreed and produce hybrid offspring. Wikipedia defines a variety as a genetically, and in turn, morphologically distinct subset of a species that is geographically isolated from other populations within that species. However, when the geographic barrier is removed, this subset interbreeds with the rest of the species, resulting in an influx of genes that erodes the variety’s distinct features, thus reintegrating it into the greater species group. With this in mind, I distinguish species and varieties based on the fact that a hybrid of two species produces offspring with reduced fertility, such as malformed pollen grains, while a hybrid of two subspecific varieties produces offspring that show no such deformities and reflects the traits of the original species."
blogs.sandiegozoo.org/2011/11/29/what-is-the-difference-between-a-species-and-a-variety/