Evolution Quote by Lee R Berger
““If populations can interbreed with each other in their natural habitat, they belong to the same species. Of course, with fossil animals, that’s not possible—if we wait for two fossils to interbreed, we’ll be waiting a very long time.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: National Geographic, 2020
Species are defined by the ability to interbreed in the wild; fossils cannot be tested this way.
In simple terms: Living organisms interbreed to be same species.
Key Takeaway
Use genetic evidence for fossils.
Themes
biology
taxonomy
evolution
Mood
scientific
analytical
Type
educational
informative
When to use this quote
- conservation planning
- museum curation
- educational curricula
Key Concepts
species concept
fossil record
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we infer species relationships without breeding?
- What alternative methods improve fossil taxonomy?
A Different Perspective
Fossil interbreeding is impractical, limiting classification.
![“Perhaps no order of mammals presents us with so extraordinary a series of gradations as this [step by step, from humans to apes to monkeys to lemurs] - leading us insensibly from the crown and summit of the animal creation down to creatures, from which there is but a step, as it seems, to the…” quote by Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/f0b/thomas-huxley-1183_animal_perhaps-no-order-of-mammals-presents-us_3051.jpg)
