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Re: Speciation - how do you know?
Stephen Barnard (steve@megafauna.com)
Mon, 09 Sep 1996 04:35:55 -0800
Nick Maclaren wrote:
>
> In article <323349D3.3AAC@megafauna.com>, Stephen Barnard <steve@megafauna.com> writes:
> |> Nick Maclaren wrote:
> |> >
> |> > When you bring the time dimension into it, things become much more
> |> > confused. For example, you would agree that mammals give birth to
> |> > infants of their own species? Well, we have continuous descent from
> |> > a proto-human that was unquestionably not of our species, if we go
> |> > back far enough. At some point, one species will have changed into
> |> > another, between generations :-)
> |>
> |> This isn't really the way it works. A new species doesn't appear
> |> "between generations". In fact, there are no well-defined speciation
> |> events. Speciation is something that can only be recognized well after
> |> the fact.
>
> I am sorry - I should have known better than to use irony on Usenet,
> even indicated by a smiley! Yes, that is precisely what I meant.
Sorry, Nick. I didn't even notice the smiley.
>
> |> BTW, are hybrids of lions and tigers really fertile?
>
> Yes. 20-30 years ago, lots of zoos bred tigons, ligers, and second
> generation whatsits.
>
> Nick Maclaren,
> University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory,
> New Museums Site, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QG, England.
> Email: nmm1@cam.ac.uk
> Tel.: +44 1223 334761 Fax: +44 1223 334679
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