DoomYoshi wrote:Symmetry wrote:On Earth alone we've been finding different species of life for a long time. Is the issue with the word "species" in terms of taxonomy?
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/aug/07/new-species-of-grass-snake-discovered-in-england
Yes. The Bible speaks of "kinds" and creationists are loathe to define "kinds" in taxonomic terms. Taxonomy itself is semi-ridiculous. There is no good definition for "species" so it really isn't saying much. In reality, a true cladistic would feature every organism on its own branch. The existence of species doesn't really fit into an evolutionary argument and creates a logical disconnect which creationists are willing to exploit.
I think taxonomy is best thought of as a tool. I wouldn't say it's ridiculous (or even semi-ridiculous). It's more like a library system of life. It's helpful, but you should never think that it's not artificial, nor perfect.
