But it is we that choose to divide animals up into discontinuous species. On the evolutionary view of life there must have been intermediates, even though, conveniently for our naming rituals, they are usually extinct.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Dawkins argues that species are not fixed biological categories but human constructs, whereas evolution reveals a continuous spectrum with many extinct intermediates.
- In plain terms
- Humans create distinct species labels, but nature shows a continuous range of forms over time.
- What can you take from it?
- Biological categories are human tools, not rigid natural laws.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does language shape our view of nature?
- Are species real or convenient fictions?
Another view
Some discrete boundaries do exist in nature due to reproductive isolation.
More from Richard Dawkins
We should be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brain falls out.
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