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Definition: Species is one of the fundamental categories of classification used in biology, but its actual definition is a matter of some disagreement. The most common definition is the Biological Species Concept (BSC). According to this, a species is an population which is actively or can potentially interbreed and produce fertile offspring. Another way of putting it is that members of different species are "reproductively isolated" from each other.
Unfortunately, this definition can run into problems - what if A can reproduce with B, and B with C, and C with D, but D cannot reproduce with A? The genetic differences between the first three pairings might be too slight to prevent reproduction, but by the time we get to the fourth and final pairing, the accumulated differences have become too great. Are A and D members of the same species, or not?
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
Related Resources:
Evolution & Creationism...
Is evolution a science? Is creationism a science? What is science? Is there evidence for either? Religious fundamentalists often attack evolution, but rarely from a positions of really understanding what evolution is and how it works. This FAQ will not only teach you more about the nature of evolution and evolutionary theory, but it will also explain some of the more common complaints and where they go wrong.
