106
votes
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How could humans have interbred with Neanderthals if we're a different species?
Short answer
The concept of species is poorly defined and is often misleading. The concepts of lineage and clade / monophyletic group are much more helpful. IMO, the only usefulness of this poorly ...
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55
votes
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Does it make sense to classify all humans in a single species?
Actually, we not only consider that all human beings belong to the same species (Homo sapiens) but even that we belong to the same subspecies (Homo sapiens sapiens). So, does it really makes sense?
...
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20
votes
How could humans have interbred with Neanderthals if we're a different species?
The definition of species is open for debate, and this is especially the case when you try to define it from a paleontology perspective.
Homo neanderthalensis was first discovered and defined in the ...
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16
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Examples of animals with 12-28 legs?
As a couple of counterexamples, species in the classes Symphyla (Pseudocentipedes) and Pauropoda within Myriapoda have 8-11 and 12 leg pairs respectively, so between 16 to 24 legs (sometimes with one ...
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14
votes
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What is the term for "technical extinction" of yet alive animals?
This is technically called Functional extinction. With no viable reproducing population the species will almost certainly become extinct. Note that humans could potentially mess with this through the ...
- 2,472
14
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How could humans have interbred with Neanderthals if we're a different species?
In addition to @Remi.b's answer on the species concept, and the perils of using human definitions to try to encompass biological reality, you need to understand what "interbreeding" meant to humans ...
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14
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Are there species that occupy several roles in the food hierarchy?
Food hierarchy and food web
Ecological trophic interactions are better represented by food webs rather than simple hierarchical relationships. As a consequence, the concepts of primary/secondary/...
- 68k
12
votes
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Where can I get a file/list of the common and scientific names of species?
Uniprot has a list of the controlled vocabulary for common and scientific names of species listed here.
An example entry:
...
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12
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Where can I get a file/list of the common and scientific names of species?
Maybe not a direct answer to your question, depending on what you mean with "unencoded data file", but the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) has an API where you extract data for species ...
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12
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Novel bacterial strains of bacteria first isolated on the International Space Station, did the space environment lead to these genetic changes?
The authors propose that this is a distinct species based on a number of physiological and genetic tests. To quote the summary of your linked paper
In summary, the phylogenetic and genetic ...
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11
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Was Darwin aware of the difficulties behind the concept of species?
The whole point of Darwin's theory was that transition from one species to another is extremely slow and gradual. There are plenty of quotes in "Origin of Species" stating this, and also affirming ...
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10
votes
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Why do dogs come in all shapes, but cats are generally all the same?
Until recently, cats were not extensively selectively bred, but were allowed to roam freely and therefore interbred randomly. Darwin pointed this out, contrasting cats to species that were routinely "...
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10
votes
What kind of snake is this
It looks like an Eastern Hognose Snake, which is characterized by an upturned nose and high likelihood of playing dead.
These are described as variable in coloration:
"Two color phases are common ...
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9
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Living intermediate species?
The hybridization situation you describe could be found in ring species, and is partially related to this concept.
For instance, the three species A, B and C could have partially overlapping ...
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8
votes
Looking for a database of plant features
-- Traits --
TRY
TRY is a Plant Trait Database. More formally, it's a network of vegetation scientists headed by DIVERSITAS/IGBP, and the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, providing a ...
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8
votes
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What kind of spider is this (reddish spider)?
This most likely is Microlinyphia pusilla. Note that this is a male, females look quite different. A picture that closely resembles yours can be found here
https://www.ispotnature.org/node/402405
...
- 3,657
8
votes
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Are there any half-evolved animals alive today?
I know that there are animals that are "simpler" than other animals but are there any that are half-evolved? Why aren't there living half ape and half humans?
Oh come on. You know if ...
- 3,245
8
votes
Defining "species" (Are species an emergent property or an ensemble of quantitative differences?)
Can we give a robust definition of species?
No.
Species constantly evolve, diverge, converge, interbreed, and mix and shuffle and trade and spread genes. To draw a box at any particular point in ...
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7
votes
Can anyone identify this bird - small flock in ireland?
With the new image it is still hard, but I think I identified the bird. I think this is a Willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) which is pretty common in Europe.
The drawing from the Royal Bird ...
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7
votes
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Is being able to interbreed and produce fertile offspring a transitive relation in biology?
The ring species conundrum
As commented above, in essence this is the classic case study of ring species, and reading up on it will completely answer your question. A case of ring species is ...
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6
votes
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What are these curious cetaceans?
I am completely shooting in the dark here, but do you mean the ones between 1:06 - 1:13 minutes in the video? (After Hammerhead and before Baby and Mama white Shark :) )
SPECIES IDENTIFIED: Pseudorca ...
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6
votes
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Which requirements are needed for 2 different species to be able to have offsprings?
Lets break this down like a logical problem. In reality, it involves the correct gene expressions at the correct time, place, etc. But that would be a book.
Prezygotic reproductive isolating ...
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6
votes
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Parents that eat their own children
Yes, it is true.
Prairie dogs
Prairie dogs for example are known for frequent infanticides.
Many other species kill their babies too
But of course, such behaviour also exists in other lineages ...
- 68k
6
votes
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Complete list of touch sensitive plants
Some of the plants that respond to mechanical stimuli:
Dionaea muscipula
'Venus’ Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) accomplishes one of the more spectacular thigmonastic movements resulting in a swap of ...
- 3,277
6
votes
Is Human a race?
The term "race" in biology
The term "race" is sometimes used in biology as a level of categorization below the species level. It is hence not a synonym of "species" but closer to a synonym of "...
- 68k
6
votes
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What kind of fish is on the picture?
This is an Atlantic wolffish (Anarhichas lupus). It's a very characteristic fish, with the teeth, the long dorsal fin and the small back fin.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_wolffish
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5
votes
Are there species that occupy several roles in the food hierarchy?
First of all, apart from primary producers, it can sometimes be difficult to assign an exact position or role to organisms in a tropic web or net since trophic levels might be diffuse or tangled. Most ...
- 16.7k
5
votes
What is the term for "technical extinction" of yet alive animals?
For this matter, I'll call it Ecological Extinction. That means you still have an extant population, but the individuals in which you are focusing on do not interact any longer with their surroundings ...
5
votes
Why was the cackling goose split off as a distinct species from the Canada goose in 2004?
The "white-cheeked" geese have long been subject to taxonomic controversy. From the 1920s to the 1950s, authorities have classified them into between one and four species. Although Aldrich in 1946 ...
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