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Why don't scientists modify the species of certain dogs due to selective breeding?
Due to selective breeding, dog breeds are so dissimilar they no longer even look like the same species. I understand the ability to breed is one indicator. But, really, can a 150lb bull mastif male impregnate a 3lb chihuahua female and she carry to term? Perhaps religious reasons we don't reclassify them?
EDIT: I thought one of the defining characteristics of a species is the ability to breed successfully with any organism in that species. So, if any 2 organisms within a species cannot breed and successfully produce health offspring they shouldn't be classified under the same species. So if a toy poodle cannot naturally breed with and carry the pups of a mastif, they should be reclassified as separate distinct species.
@nobby: Your comments were the most logical and thought provoking. I awarded you best answer. thank you to everyone for your input on my question. It was very insightful.
5 Answers
- Anonymous6 years agoFavorite Answer
Dont be silly, of course its not religious reasons. It irrelevant how they look, thats just not how species classification works unless you are a Hari Krishna, in which case a dolphin is a fish because it swims, and a bat is a bird because it flies.
Scientific classification is by genotype (genetics), and they are genetically similar enough to breed. Their DNA is very similar, there is no way to classify them as separate because they are not.
Its the same as the classification of humans, we can be very dissimilar but are still the same species.
Dog breeders classify according to phenotype (looks).
- LizzieLv 76 years ago
Dogs were bred to look very different n purpose. No one with a brain would want to cross a Mastiff with a Chihuahua. We don't reclassify them because they are all the same species.
- Nekkid Truth!Lv 76 years ago
They are the same specie tho. Just different variations within the specie.
That's why the different variations are classified as BREEDS
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