Darren New <dne### [at] sanrrcom> wrote:
> Warp wrote:
> >   The definition of species is not dependent on behavior.

> You keep telling me what the definition of species is not.
> All I'm asking is for you to tell me what the definition of species *is*.

  Even if somebody doesn't know what something is, he can still know what
it isn't.

  Defining "species" based on the decisions made by groups of living beings
(even if those decisions are instinctive) is just silly. A group of humans
deciding not to interbreed with another group doesn't make them a different
species.

  The decision of whether two groups are of the same species should be
doable by studying their genes only, without having to observe their
behavior.

> >   You make it sound like every living being could reproduce with any
> > other living being on Earth, but they just won't because they either are
> > of the wrong size or because of instinct. That's not how it works.

> No, I never said anything like that.

  You didn't, but you make it sound like that when you overemphasize the
role of behavior in the definition of "species".

-- 
                                                          - Warp

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