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Humans Interbred with Four Extinct Hominin Species, Research Finds

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Re: Humans Interbred with Four Extinct Hominin Species, Research Finds

#4
post #3

If we interbred with them, how are they actually species? It seems more to me you're talking more about racial or breed differences akin to breeds of dogs if two species actually successfuly had viable offspring in the wild.

Yeah, seems more logical to say ancient human experienced a number genetic divergences which were then folded into the mainline of the genetic stream.

Re: Humans Interbred with Four Extinct Hominin Species, Research Finds

#5
post #3

If we interbred with them, how are they actually species? It seems more to me you're talking more about racial or breed differences akin to breeds of dogs if two species actually successfuly had viable offspring in the wild.

Such categories are only an approximation of reality to help with classification. There is stuff like ring species [1] for example or species complex [2].

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_species

[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species_complex

Re: Humans Interbred with Four Extinct Hominin Species, Research Finds

#7
post #3

If we interbred with them, how are they actually species? It seems more to me you're talking more about racial or breed differences akin to breeds of dogs if two species actually successfuly had viable offspring in the wild.

Interbreeding isn't a bright line. Zebras can breed with Donkeys!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebroid

Darwin's Origin of Species had a good section on this; the book is quite readable.

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