FREE to good homes Mbuna (Ice blue-Kenyi) South FL

[Synirr]

Just figured I'd be anal about this

the definition of a species is a group sharing strongly similar characteristics that interbreeds sucessfully--meaning they produce consistently fertile offspring. two fish that are typically regarded as different species, then suddenly start hybridizing in the wild and produce viable fy, are in fact just sub-species (meaning two groups sharing mildly simliar characteristics that are capable of interbreeding sucessfully but typically don't).

[snapback]917715[/snapback]​

Scientists actually can't agree on the definition of species... sure, "a population with strongly similar characteristics that can interbreed successfully" is the working definition, but as my Evolution professor would say, put a large number of scientists in a room and tell them they can't leave until they agree on a definition of species and only a handful would ever come out... they would have killed the rest in the heat af argument
The assignment of species is arbitrary to an extent... after all, populations evolve on a continuum, so we humans are just forming the breaks where we see fit. There are animals which are considered separate species that can interbreed successfully and even produce offspring that are more fit for certain environments than either of the parental species, but in the eyes of science these are no less separate species because of it. Being able to successfully hybridize does not automatically make two groups subspecies rather than true species. Take dogs and wolves for example.

Ok, my anal moment has ended.

 

[Fry Lady]

And what do you get when you breed a horse and a donkey?























































Time to start cloning mules.

 

[Synirr]

Interesting tidbit: Like female blood parrots, female mules are sometimes fertile and can be bred back to horses, mules, or even hybridized again with zebras. The same goes for hinnies

 

[OohFeeshy]

Yup, science is wonderful, ain't it? Can't even decide what a species is... Take betta splendens and betta imbellis. Different species, can hybridise together. No idea why people want to, heres an example
http/www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auc...aswt&1129010401
Doesn't look much different from a normal betta.