Proving Evolution in the Age of Genetics

Which I think qualifies it as a different species based on the biological species concept. That, IIRC, deferentiates based on usual successful production of fertile offspring in the wild.If the situation you describe is the general case (and I would think it is) then those two varieties are separate species are they not?This message has been edited by NosyNed, 01-13-2005 20:16 AM

You're almost certainly right. Of course, they don't ever seem to be able to make a good operational definition of what the heck they are talking about. This, one begins to sustpect, is deliberate. If they do nail it down they get nailed with their own definition. "Kind" seems to be avoided as a four letter word.

And like any continuum with changes from one end to the other we can frequently be very definite at the extremes and less and less definite as we get closer and closer together in the continuum.That is, there is frequently no difficulty but as two animals get closer to each other the differentiation is harder.Lions and Tigers are, I think all would agree, different species. Then we have the case of the different varieties of dogs. Much less clear.I understand, but don't know enough to say, that there are distinct species that are much more morphologically similar than many dog varieties. None the less they are distinctly different species.mmmm that was a lot of more or less useless blather was it not?I think what needs to be done is have the "creos" make it clear what they mean by "species" or "kind" or any other compartmentalization they want to talk about.

Which, of course, will, in some cases, become different species over time. The blurring of the lines is evolution in action.This message has been edited by NosyNed, 01-13-2005 21:43 AM

Well, two humans have "different DNA" in that the genetic sequences aren't the same.You seem to mean that the genetic packaging into chromosomes is the difference.However, this doesn't work. There are many species with the same number of chromosomes that are definitly different species. Therefore there is some other level of difference that you haven't reached yet.Since we have 23 pairs of chromosomes does that mean we are the same species as all other animals that have 23 pairs of chromosomes??