Belligerati

« What do you make of this | Main | Identity and ordinary politics »

May 25, 2009

Funny evolution discussion

In Are Dog Breeds Actually Different Species?, Scientific American writer Steve Mirsky takes on critics of evolution, saying that we should call the different breeds of dogs different species as a reminder that evolution is real and taking place in our time. Although somewhat of a smarmy point, the article does make some interesting points about what actually makes for a distinct species.

However, an astonishing comment comes from the Slashdot discussion, which points out how mistaken this line of argument really is:
"Just remember if you argue that dog breeds are different species, especially the case of the mastiff and chihuahua, or the teacup yorkie and newfoundland, these different species are verifiably the result of intelligent design. Selection was involved, but not natural selection."
Should We Just Call Dog Breeds a Different Species?

That said, the example of dogs being uninterested in mating due to massive size differences is false by example. My father once heard a dog screaming on a cold winter day in Michigan. He looked around, witnessing a tiny male dog mating with a much larger female dog. The reason he was screaming is that when the female stood up she lifted him completely into the air and he was dangling by his penis. Perhaps this is evidence that they are becoming different species and could not practically mate, but this is also evidence that they would still mate if they could.

Posted by OneEyedMan at May 25, 2009 11:15 AM

Comments

Post a comment