Amber evolving

Just a thought

So today in my evolution class, we started talking about definitions of a species. It sort of went on in the same vein as we’ve been- trying to figure out what nature and wilderness mean, trying to figure out that perfect definition that nails it right on the head and encompasses every last aspect of the words and concepts. Then my professor brought up these two scientists. Their names were Mishler and Donahue. At the time of this species debate, they wrote a paper about defining what constitutes a species. Their paper addressed the issue of plurality- that the species concept can be thought of in phylogenetic terms, in morphological terms, in biological/reproductive terms, and so on. The most important thing about their work is that they just said that even though the words mean different things in different concepts, everyone recognizes that they’re talking about the same thing. It was a practical, simple approach to addressing a very complex problem. I know that we really want to figure out the perfect definitions for wilderness and nature and ecosystem and all that. However, it’s important to recognize that when we say those words, everyone understands what we’re talking about. Have you ever said the word “nature” and had someone stare at you blankly waiting for explanation? How about the word “city”? I’m guessing not. I know the field is still going to continue to grapple with the possible definitions of these terms and concepts, but I think Mishler and Donahue’s idea is pretty valid. We all have an inherent sense of what these words mean. I just thought that was a neat thing I could take from another class and apply to this one. I doubt it will make a lot of difference in our quest for the words, but I thought it was interesting.