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From: bhayes@glacier.ARPA (Barry Hayes)
Newsgroups: net.bio
Subject: speciefication
Message-ID: <7730@glacier.ARPA>
Date: Thu, 22-May-86 22:18:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: glacier.7730
Posted: Thu May 22 22:18:38 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 25-May-86 06:44:26 EDT
Organization: Stanford University, IC Laboratory
Lines: 15


When all is said and done "genus" and "family" distinctions are the
creation of human minds.  Some draw their taxonomy from morpholory,
others from genetics.  But the division of organisms into species
is fundamental, representing the genetic barrier of producing 
fertile offspring.

But one thing that has always troubled me is the arising of a new
species from an old.  Given just about any situation I cannot see
how a distinct species which cannot interbreed with any previous
species can come out of a population.  What could do it other than 
two or more simultaneous identically placed mutations?  It doesn't
seem as if a species could get that lucky as often as it has happened.

So what gives?  How does it happen?  Has it ever been observed to
happen?