different races of people and breeds of animals

[mollykins]

If there wasn't any mating of people of different races or possibly breeds of dogs for example, would there come a point when we/they would become different species?

I would think so, but how many generations would this take?

[mollykins]

HH I said IF they're not healthy (in other ways apart from being unfertile).

Just that if unhealthy people get fertility treatment, their child is likely to be unhealthy aswell which is not helping society in the slightest, plus there's plenty of orphaned children that need loving homes already. people treat it as if having children is a right but a small minority of people don't deserve them.

[NOX]

But the small minority that 'don't deserve them' are not necesarily the ones who can't have them. My father had children, he didn't deserve to be breathing never mind about being a parent but I have charming friends who have gone the IVF route who have still not managed to have kids. Adopting is not always as easy as it could be, there are many reasons people are turned down, some quite trivial, so should all of these worthy couples really remain childless? I assume you don't mind medical interventions in other matters?

[mollykins]

it depends it's ok if the people are good citizens, especially if these people are of benefit to society through their knowledge or skills.

[ChuckFickens]

maybe we should introduce psychological and social skills testing before allowing anyone to have kids.

[pa___ul3]

there was a different species of human - Neanderthal. Apparently they did interbreed with homo sapiens but are now extinct. Maybe they would still exist if homo sapiens didn't move into Europe and Asia from Africa.

[McMouse]

Now you're talking Chucky.........eugenics for the chosen ones.

[Old_Geezer]

I am unsure the definition of a species is well established. I used to think it mean there could be no cross breeding, but of course we know with closely related species this can happen. I'm unsure if the offspring is always infertile though. That said the only way new species come into existence is for an existing species to branch into two, so it seems to me ensuring two groups don't meet up to swop genes, it is a possibility they will diverge until they can be considered different species.

[chakka35]

I hope I haven't misunderstood your question, Molly, but the emergence of difference species is not dependent on any form of cross-breeding. Random mutations within a single species, followed by natural selection, can produce a new species when the mutations have reached such a level that mating with the original species is no longer possible.

But I have a feeling that you knew this already, which is why I'm a little hesitant.

[wildwood]

If different races of humans didn't leave their habitat and never interbreed then they will become separate species, eventually becoming so different that they will be unable to produce fertile progeny. This however usually takes millions of years, not a few hundred.

[jomifl]

Molly I'll say it again.. survival of the fittest always applies
You appear to have misunderstood what 'fittest' means in this context. It doesn't mean the most physically well developed it means the best suited to it's environment. Additionally the way these things work isn't always obvious, If there was a gene for caring and compassion in a society then members of the society would help one and other to survive and the members of that society might do better and produce more offspring than one that didn't have the gene. A side effect might be that the compassionate society looked after its old and disabled members too as well as it's infants and could afford to do so because the society worked better.