Re: Hierarchal vs Non-Hierarchal Interfaces to Biological Taxonomy

From: Bob Badour <bbadour_at_pei.sympatico.ca>
Date: Fri, 22 Dec 2006 21:17:34 GMT
Message-ID: <OXXih.36387$cz.535949@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca>

Larry Coon wrote:

> Bob Badour wrote:
>

>>Which common bird is it that has three cohorts A, B and C where A and B
>>can interbreed, B and C can interbreed but A and C cannot? Is it the robin?

>
> There's lots of species like that -- it's called a ring
> species. I think it's the salamander where every subspecies
> but two can interbreed.
>
> An interesting question is when you have subspecies A, B & C,
> where A & C cannot interbreed, and B goes extinct, do you now
> have two distinct species?

Which opens the floor to: "How many species did you have before B went extinct?"

Does anyone consider the horse and the donkey the same species? Received on Fri Dec 22 2006 - 15:17:34 CST