Some Genius Here Said That Different Species Can’t Interbreed. Then How Do You Explain Mules And Ligers?
There are different definitions of species. But the biological species concept defines species as group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing viable and fertile offspring.
This definition includes that interbreeding cannot occur if not in the same geographical areas or will not interbreed due to behavior. Also the offspring must survive and be able to reproduce. A mule is sterile and therefore is not a “species” itself. So a donkey and horse are separate species. Also parts sometimes do not fit. So even if it can be performed in a lab they are a separate species (it doesn’t happen in nature).
A definition for species is difficult because each group of organisms cannot be placed into a strict groups. Systematics is a human invention. Evolution creates intermediates that seem stable now but may be evolving. We think of everything as static, but think of current species as a snapshot in time. A few million years ago this snapshot would look different, and few million into the future there will be differences.
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Our distinction of “species” is often wrong… Our concept of evolution is also flawed. The idea of a “transitional species” is foolish – all “species” are transitional. Every animal on this earth is transitional.
More interesting to me than the mule and liger examples (good examples by the way). Are the examples of people who cannot successfully mate because of blood type. Are they different species? Also within the dog population (generally accepted to be one species), the differences are so great that some breeds absolutely cannot mix. A male Great Dane cannot breed with a female Chihuahua – it’s physically impossible. Many of the so-called “species” on this earth are compatible on a chromosomal level, but for physical reasons they cannot breed. Some are physically able, but the chromosomes stop success.
The world is grey – not black and/or white.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure that a lion is a cat and a tiger is a cat and a mule is from the horse family and the donkey is from the horse family so interbreeding is not a problem. As for a great dane and a chihuahua breeding it is not a problem either. Just artificially inseminate a great dane with chihuahua sperm and what you have is another dog breed. This is not a problem. But to say a monkey came from a fish is ridiculous. Science is great, speculation is foolish.
Different species can breed sometimes, but they cannot produce fertile offspring (“ligers” can’t reproduce)
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As long as they have the same number of chromosomes they should be able to breed. The offspring however will not be fertile. You know they are trying this technique to bring back the Wooly Mammoth!
I explain that by saying whoever said they can’t interbreed is an idiot and no one should listen to him/her.
Well interbreeding, genius. Well thats just to answer a question and prove a point but not a question.
The person who said that may have not added that the definition of species includes producing fertile offspring. Although some ligers may be fertile, they cannot breed with another liger and produce offspring, let alone fertile offspring. The definition of species in biology is similar organisms that can mate and produce fertile offspring. I imagine there are exceptions to this defintion.