Darren New <dne### [at] sanrrcom> wrote:
> And isn't instinct driven by genetics? How can you say genetically-dictated 
> behavior doesn't contribute to two creatures being different species, but 
> then say a species in theory can be determined simply by looking at the 
> genetics?

  Genetically-dictated behavior may end up causing (true) speciation over
time (if it keeps the two groups genetically separate long enough). However,
by which definition can you say that they are *already* different species
when they are still fully capable of interbreeding?

> Imagine if a whale and a dolphin were genetically compatible. I'd still call 
> them separate species, because it would be impossible to bring a cross of 
> those two to term without the genetics of human beings.

  You could as well argue that dog races which differ greatly in size are
of different species. However, they are not considered such. Even if one
dog race weights a hundred times more than another, they are still part
of the same species.

-- 
                                                          - Warp

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