What defines a species? Inside the fierce debate that's rocking biology to its core

What defines a species? Inside the fierce debate that's rocking biology to its core | 6 species that scientists got wrong | AI is rapidly identifying new species. Can we trust the results? Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( July 1, 2024 CONNECT WITH LIVESCIENCE  [Facebook]( [X](  [LIVESCIENCE]( Amazing science every day [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [WEBSITE](   Top Science News [] [What defines a species? Inside the fierce debate that's rocking biology to its core]( (Maria Klos for Live Science) [What defines a species? Inside the fierce debate that's rocking biology to its core]( In 2016, scientists published a paper with a bold claim: that the giraffe, first described as a species by Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758, might actually have been [four species all along](. Unlike Linneaus, the researchers had access to modern genetic tools, which revealed that giraffes fall into distinct clusters based on differences in their DNA, some of which are "larger than the differences between brown bears and polar bears," the authors said at the time. The news sent ripples through the giraffe conservation community, which suddenly needed to protect four species instead of one. But from the start, there was disagreement about this new classification, and even today, the International Union for Conservation of Nature — an organization that oversees the listing of threatened and endangered species — lists the giraffe as a single species, Giraffa camelopardalis, with nine subspecies. The dustup and others like it highlight the "species problem," a fundamental uncertainty over how we parse organisms, and it continues to rile biologists the world over. So [what defines a species](, and why does this matter? [Read More]( [] - [6 species that scientists got wrong]( [] - [AI is rapidly identifying new species. Can we trust the results?]( [] - [20 of the best named animal species on Earth, from Boops boop to Agra vation]( [] History & Archaeology [] [Neanderthals cared for 6-year-old with Down syndrome, fossil find reveals]( (Bjanka Kadic via Alamy Stock Photo) [Neanderthals cared for 6-year-old with Down syndrome, fossil find reveals]( The unique shape of an ear bone belonging to a Neanderthal child found in a cave in Spain suggests that she had Down syndrome. [Read More]( [] Space [] [NASA offers SpaceX $843 million to destroy the International Space Station]( (NASA) [NASA offers SpaceX $843 million to destroy the International Space Station]( The International Space Station is nearing the end of its operational life. Now NASA is developing a plan for SpaceX to destroy it. [Read More]( [] Health [] [What causes you to get a 'stitch in your side'?]( (Jan-Otto/Getty Images) [What causes you to get a 'stitch in your side'?]( Many people are familiar with the sharp pain that can strike beneath your rib cage during exercise. But what causes it? [Read More]( [] ['We're proving that this is a new door to understand cancer better']( (Dario Belingheri via Getty Images) ['We're proving that this is a new door to understand cancer better']( Tour de France coach Iñigo San Millán on what elite cyclists could reveal about cancer biology [Read More]( [] Animals [] [Which continent has the most animal species?]( (nicolamargaret via Getty Images) [Which continent has the most animal species?]( The diversity of even the largest animals depends on the smallest factors. [Read More]( [] Poll Question [] A jumping robot currently in development could leap over which landmark? (Learn the answer [here](.) [Vote]( [Christ the Redeemer]( [Vote]( [The Statue of Liberty]( [Vote]( [The Great Pyramid of Giza]( [Vote]( [The Eiffel Tower](   [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Privacy Policy]( | [Cookies Policy]( | [Terms and Conditions]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:livescience@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE]( [Future]( Future US LLC © Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036