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Capt Gregory Prickett Happy Thanksgiving! Thought you’d enjoy this!
Bird seen becoming new species
Posted from bbc.co.uk
Atheism
Thanksgiving
Science
Posted 7 y ago
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I guess that depends on how you define "species". Two types of finches bred and their offspring are hybrids of the two. They are still birds. Wow, amazing. If the finch had bred with a Galapagos iguana and we had a flying reptile, that would be pretty cool.
I think the article does as much to expose the weak theories or ideas about how some creatures may be able to breed. From the article:
"In the past, it was thought that two different species must be unable to produce fertile offspring in order to be defined as such. But in more recent years, it has been established that many birds and other animals that we consider to be unique species are in fact able to interbreed with others to produce fertile young."
"We tend not to argue about what defines a species anymore, because that doesn't get you anywhere," said Prof Butlin. What he says is more interesting is understanding the role that hybridisation can have in the process of creating new species, which is why this observation of Galapagos finches is so important."
I think the article does as much to expose the weak theories or ideas about how some creatures may be able to breed. From the article:
"In the past, it was thought that two different species must be unable to produce fertile offspring in order to be defined as such. But in more recent years, it has been established that many birds and other animals that we consider to be unique species are in fact able to interbreed with others to produce fertile young."
"We tend not to argue about what defines a species anymore, because that doesn't get you anywhere," said Prof Butlin. What he says is more interesting is understanding the role that hybridisation can have in the process of creating new species, which is why this observation of Galapagos finches is so important."
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Cpl Jeff N.
Capt Gregory Prickett - I think they admitted in the article that they (scientists) had misclassified the two finches as different "species". By definition, a different species cannot reproduce with another, correct? The two finches were misclassified if that is the definition. When they mated and had a offspring with shared attributes a new species was not created only a hybrid of two existing creatures able to reproduce.
It is a bit like a German shepherd mating with a Doberman. The two dogs are no more different species than the two finches and the two dogs did not advance the cause of evolution a bit.
Science had been wrong about the finches for a long time. No big deal, science is wrong all the time that is part of the scientific process. They are making the same mistake again though talking about this hybrid finch as a new species.
It is a bit like a German shepherd mating with a Doberman. The two dogs are no more different species than the two finches and the two dogs did not advance the cause of evolution a bit.
Science had been wrong about the finches for a long time. No big deal, science is wrong all the time that is part of the scientific process. They are making the same mistake again though talking about this hybrid finch as a new species.
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