
The Species Problem - vinchuco
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species_problem
======
scalematters
From evolutionary biologist and MacArthur Fellow David Hillis[1]:

Species are exactly as real, and as unreal, as rivers, for many of the same
reasons. It is true that every river (species) is different, and it is hard to
describe their boundaries, and their beginning and ending points are often
unclear. Also, there are some arbitrary aspects about rivers, like when we
call them a river or a stream, or how we divide and name segments of a river.

When two rivers merge into one (or one species splits into two), it is very
hard to determine exactly when that happens. Yet, it does happen, and it is
pretty easy to see after the fact (but not in the close details of water
molecules or individual genes at the point of merger). But the concept of a
river is very useful, and I have floated down many rivers that seemed pretty
real to me. I also regularly encounter and interact with a lot of species that
seem quite real to me. All of these difficult attributes I mentioned are true
of all historical lineages: species, countries, corporations, rivers,
families, or almost anything to which we assign a proper name (or could).

Yet, why are biologists perplexed about species? Clearly, life is not
distributed continuously, but into lineages of historically related
individuals that share a common reproductive (or sometimes, ecological)
boundary. I just can't see how one can make any sense out of life without
understanding and accepting the reality of species. It would be like trying to
understand the economy while denying the reality of corporations, or global
politics while denying the reality of countries.

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hillis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hillis)

------
venning
See also this recent Economist article [1] on a new species, the coywolf,
found in North America and their comments on the difficulty of deciding if it
is, in fact, a new species. And associated HN discussion [2].

[1] [http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-
technology/2167718...](http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-
technology/21677188-it-rare-new-animal-species-emerge-front-scientists-eyes)

[2]
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10475739](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10475739)

