Nobody, least of all humans themselves, had any inkling that their descendants would one day walk on the moon, split the atom, fathom the genetic code and write history books. The most important thing to know about prehistoric humans is that they were incognisant animals with no more impact on their environment than gorillas, fireflies or jellyfish.
Biologists classify organisms into species. Animals are said to belong to the same species if they tend to mate with each other, giving birth to fertile offspring. Horses and donkeys have a recent common ancestor and share many physical traits. They will mate if induced to do so but their offspring, called mules, are sterile. Mutations in donkey DNA can therefore never cross over to horses, or vice versa. The two types of animals are consequently considered two distinct species, moving along separate evolutionary paths. By contrast, a bulldog and a spaniel may look very different, but they are members of the same species, sharing the same DNA pool. [203 words]
(Extracted from Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari)
To determine which option correctly answers the question about what defines if two animals belong to the same species, we need to understand the definition of a species as explained in the given passage.
The passage states that biologists classify organisms into species and that animals are said to belong to the same species if they tend to mate with each other, giving birth to fertile offspring. It further explains that even though horses and donkeys can mate, their offspring (mules) are sterile. As a result, horses and donkeys are considered distinct species.
Following this logic, the correct criteria for determining whether two animals belong to the same species according to the passage is their ability to produce fertile offspring. This is contrasted with the incorrect options by the following analysis:
- Their ability to produce fertile offspring: This option aligns perfectly with the passage, which emphasizes fertile offspring as the key determinant of belonging to the same species.
- Their physical appearance and size: The passage provides an example of bulldogs and spaniels, which can look different but belong to the same species. Hence, physical appearance is not a reliable indicator for species classification.
- Their shared evolutionary ancestor: While this may be true in some biological contexts, the passage does not suggest that shared ancestry alone is enough for species classification.
- Their capacity to adapt to the environment: This is an incorrect interpretation of species definition as per the passage.
From this detailed analysis, the conclusion misidentifies the correct option. The correct choice based on the passage is Their ability to produce fertile offspring.
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Important Questions from Non Grammar
- In formulating Principle VI (a), the ILC clarified the term "waging of a war of aggression" because:
- The author attributes the growing public frustration with the UN primarily to which pair of continuous failures?
- A primary point of divergence between the US Conservative position and the Secretary-General's Conservative position on security matters, according to the summary is:
- According to the critique's conclusion, the immediate, insurmountable barrier preventing the implementation of any reform, major or minor, is:
- The Secretary-General's 'Agenda for Peace' proposed a specific military capability intended to address the gap between traditional peace-keeping and full military action. This proposed unit was explicitly characterized by the summary as being:
