What is a Species Anyway?

[NCE12940]

Though the article deals with canids (Red Wolf, Grey Wolf, Coyote), a very interesting look at species definition and hybridization.
https://newrepublic.com/article/124453/ ... mg00000003

[Bas Pels]

Never heard of red wolves, but to me this was the only new thing. But then, I know the genus Xiphophorus has a few hybrid species - which are recongnized by all.

An earthquacke, or an eruption from a vulcano, made fish from different rivers meet, end hybridize. Much later, the fish from 1 rover were considered one species, from the other another, and in this river? A third species.

After all, the fish do not belong to either of the parent species, and they developed naturally. Therefore one can either declare the fish not suiteble to be described, or one ends up with a hybrid species.

Evolution basically works on individuals. Whether a fish is of pure blood or a hybrid - if it survives, and reproduces, it will be past of selction and survival of the fittest. That is, evolution will work on its offspring.

Personally, I rather think in populations and genera. If I have an Ancistrus from the Arroyo Tropo Vieja in Uruguay, I know what to feed it, after all, it is an ancistrus, and if I put it in water resembling that in this Arroyo (250 microsiemens, pH aroud 7) the water will be fine. I just need to fix the temperatures, and a whether station happens to be only 30 km away.

What species it is? I don't know, and frankly I hardly care. Nature is too complicated for us humans, and therefore we invented species. But they do not exist in reallity

[NCE12940]

Makes sense to me. Humans have a need to try to impose order on everything; not possible.