Hi Faith,
I'm posting this as Admin, but this is strictly informational for now.
In case it helps to explain it a different way, while species can be a difficult concept if the focus is all of life, in these discussions we're usually just talking about sexual species like reptiles and mammals. For these the definition of species is pretty simple: if two populations cannot interbreed, they're different species. So when one subpopulation of a species evolves to the point where it cannot interbreed with another subpopulation of the same species, then it is
*by definition* a different species.
You believe that when two subpopulations can no longer interbreed that they are still the same species, but that is
*by definition* a contradiction. Unless you redefine the word species. Which you can't do. Because it already has a definition.
If no one objects then I will be moving this thread to the
Biological Evolution forum tomorrow. I will be taking over moderator duties and will request that the
Forum Guidelines be followed. The main focus of the thread will be on the topic and not on redefining words that already have time-honored definitions.
-- | Percy |
| EvC Forum Director |