From: Bill Lucy 

In article , steve{at}qmss.com says...
> > The ability to interbreed and to create viable/fertile offspring then
> > becomes just one part of determining a different species. IMO, this
> > makes Gary B's definition unworkable.
>
> Well, yeah, I would say it is just a rule of thumb, but not definitive.

It only takes a bit of study to find that many of these so-called
"definitions" only hold in certain contexts. There is quite a bit
of argument among those who differentiate species on some species
identification. That's why you'll read about "sub-species" from
one scientist and "species" from another -- both relating to a
certain, uh, what's the word then?

What Gary is relying upon is a folk definition of speciation. And it only
goes so far.

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