5 ms·

If human races (which clearly exist) are not genetically distinct enough to be considered subspecies, how about the inverse? Can you point out examples of anima

If human races (which clearly exist) are not genetically distinct enough to be considered subspecies, how about the inverse? Can you point out examples of animal species/subspecies that have races? Are different dog breeds the equivalent of human races, for example?

danieltillett 10y ago
Many animal species have races (or sub-species). Dogs breeds are not generally considered as different species despite it being impossible for many to interbreed (think chihuahuas and Great Danes). Isn't biology wonderful :)
dalke 10y ago
In the post you replied to I pointed out gorilla (with three subspecies, two of which are Gorilla gorilla gorilla and Gorilla gorilla beringei) and orang-utans (with Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus and Pongo pygmaeus abelii) as two species with recognized subspecies. I also earlier mentioned chimpanzees as a species with multiple subspecies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_chimpanzee#Taxonomy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_chimpanzee#Taxonomy says there are four. This uses the taxonomic definition of race, which http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v36/n11s/full/ng1455.html http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v36/n11s/full/ng1455.html says "Although 'race' and subspecies are usually treated as equivalent, some zoological taxonomists reserve the word 'race' for local breeding populations, with subspecies being geographical collections of populations that are similar or the same in the defining traits." That same article is careful to point out that the taxonomical definition is different from the sociopolitical, "socially constructed" definitions used by humans when talking about themselves. Concerning dogs, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog#Taxonomy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog#Taxonomy points out that it's unresolved if domesticated animals should be list as a subspecies, so that dogs are "Canis lupus familiaris", or if they are their own species, as in "Canis familiaris". In either case, dog breeds are "artificial variants created by ... selective breeding", from http://vertebrates.si.edu/msw/mswCFApp/msw/taxon_browser.cfm?msw_id=11374&CFID=12634444&CFTOKEN=cc1f55b96a5e34a-FC9CD852-C674-9147-2845FC003C9BEC28&jsessionid=28306b88028b8491c0804d7c347a623b6e31 http://vertebrates.si.edu/msw/mswCFApp/msw/taxon_browser.cfm... . The term "variety" has no formal definition in mammalian taxonomy. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variety_(botany)#Other_nomenclature_uses https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variety_(botany)#Other_nomencl... .

danieltillett 10y ago

Many animal species have races (or sub-species). Dogs breeds are not generally considered as different species despite it being impossible for many to interbreed (think chihuahuas and Great Danes). Isn't biology wonderful :)

dalke 10y ago

In the post you replied to I pointed out gorilla (with three subspecies, two of which are Gorilla gorilla gorilla and Gorilla gorilla beringei) and orang-utans (with Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus and Pongo pygmaeus abelii) as two species with recognized subspecies. I also earlier mentioned chimpanzees as a species with multiple subspecies. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_chimpanzee#Taxonomy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_chimpanzee#Taxonomy says there are four. This uses the taxonomic definition of race, which http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v36/n11s/full/ng1455.html http://www.nature.com/ng/journal/v36/n11s/full/ng1455.html says "Although 'race' and subspecies are usually treated as equivalent, some zoological taxonomists reserve the word 'race' for local breeding populations, with subspecies being geographical collections of populations that are similar or the same in the defining traits." That same article is careful to point out that the taxonomical definition is different from the sociopolitical, "socially constructed" definitions used by humans when talking about themselves. Concerning dogs, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog#Taxonomy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog#Taxonomy points out that it's unresolved if domesticated animals should be list as a subspecies, so that dogs are "Canis lupus familiaris", or if they are their own species, as in "Canis familiaris". In either case, dog breeds are "artificial variants created by ... selective breeding", from http://vertebrates.si.edu/msw/mswCFApp/msw/taxon_browser.cfm?msw_id=11374&CFID=12634444&CFTOKEN=cc1f55b96a5e34a-FC9CD852-C674-9147-2845FC003C9BEC28&jsessionid=28306b88028b8491c0804d7c347a623b6e31 http://vertebrates.si.edu/msw/mswCFApp/msw/taxon_browser.cfm... . The term "variety" has no formal definition in mammalian taxonomy. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variety_(botany)#Other_nomenclature_uses https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variety_(botany)#Other_nomencl... .