Evolutionary Diversity

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Every species on Earth is related to every other species in a pattern every bit as complex as the patterns of energy flow within an ecosystem. In evolutionary diversity, the connection is not energy flow, but rather genetic connections that unite species. The more closely related any two species are, the more genetic information they will share, and the more similar they will appear. An ever-widening circle of evolutionary relatedness embraces every species on Earth.

An organism’s closest relatives are members of its own species—that is, other organisms with which it has the potential to mate and produce offspring. Members of a species share genes, the bits of biochemical information that determine, in part, how the animals look, behave, and live. One eastern gray squirrel, for example, shares the vast majority of its genes with other eastern gray squirrels, whether they live in the same area or are separated by thousands of miles. Members of a species also share complex mating behaviors that enable them to recognize each other as potential mates. When a female eastern gray squirrel is ready to mate, she exudes a scent that attracts male eastern gray squirrels. Mating and sharing a common supply of genes unite a species.

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