Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!lll-crg!ames!ll-xn!mit-eddie!genrad!panda!husc6!husc4!gallagher From: gallagher@husc4.harvard.edu (paul gallagher) Newsgroups: sci.bio,talk.origins Subject: Re: Evolution vs.(?) Creationism Message-ID: <889@husc6.UUCP> Date: Sun, 14-Dec-86 05:47:12 EST Article-I.D.: husc6.889 Posted: Sun Dec 14 05:47:12 1986 Date-Received: Tue, 16-Dec-86 01:55:35 EST References: <2849@bu-cs.BU.EDU> <1261@cybvax0.UUCP> <9@bcsaic.UUCP> Sender: news@husc6.UUCP Reply-To: gallagher@husc4.UUCP (paul gallagher) Organization: Harvard Science Center Lines: 24 Xref: mnetor sci.bio:56 talk.origins:211 In article <9@bcsaic.UUCP> michaelm@bcsaic.UUCP (Michael Maxwell) writes: >In article <2849@bu-cs.BU.EDU> bzs@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Barry Shein) writes: >> For what it's worth I believe the acid test of a new species is that >> it is no longer able to breed with the original species it evolved >> from... > >I've always thought this definition, if *strictly* applied, rather humerous. >All males must be of separate species from each other, since they can't >interbreed (and likewise all females)...:-) Actually, the definition of biological species (originated by Ernst Mayr) states that two individuals are of different species if they belong to *populations* which are reproductively isolated. Any sexually reproducing population has both males and females. However, although males need females, females don't neccessarily need males. Under laboratory conditions, the ovum of the female of some species can be artificially induced to begin development, without need of sperm. I read one author who, noting that many women have given birth without ever apparently having had sex, thinks that virgin birth is possible in humans. Paul Gallagher