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From: andrea@hp-sdd.hp.com (Andrea K. Frankel)
Newsgroups: sci.bio,rec.pets
Subject: Re: What distinguishes a species?
Message-ID: <3251@hp-sdd.hp.com>
Date: 7 Feb 90 01:15:30 GMT
References: <22448@siemens.siemens.com> <202@53iss6.Waterloo.NCR.COM> <25520@gryphon.COM>
Reply-To: andrea@hp-sdd.UUCP (Andrea K. Frankel)
Distribution: usa
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, San Diego Division
Lines: 25

In article <25520@gryphon.COM> richard@gryphon.COM (Richard Sexton) writes:
>In article <202@53iss6.Waterloo.NCR.COM> howard@53iss6.Waterloo.NCR.COM (Howard Steel) writes:
>>In article <22448@siemens.siemens.com> samaddar@demon.UUCP (Sumitro Samaddar)
>>writes:
>>
>>>Are all dogs in the same species?
>>
>>NO. The main problem is usually physical disparity. When's the last time you
>>saw a St. Bernard - Chihuahua cross?

Sorry, but "species" is biologically defined (check your high school or
college biology books).  

Dogs are all in one species because their offspring are fertile.
Physical difficulties notwithstanding - if you (ahem) gathered sperm
from a St.  Bernard and artificially inseminated a Chihuahua in heat,
you would get offspring which were themselves fertile.

Andrea Frankel, Hewlett-Packard (San Diego Division) (619) 592-4664
	"wake now!  Discover that you are the song that the morning brings..."
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