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What, If Anything, Is a Species?

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Species, Species Concepts and Primate Evolution

Part of the book series: Advances in Primatology ((AIPR))

Abstract

Each generation, evolutionary biologists seem doomed to grapple with the “species question” epitomized in my title. The task is often seen as Sisyphean, with no final consensus on what really constitutes a “species” ever emerging. In contrast, I believe that important strides in understanding what species may or may not be have been taken in the last 50 years, including much important work underway at the present. In particular, we have hope, if not for consensus, at least for a detailed understanding of why consensus on the nature of species has persistently eluded evolutionary biologists.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Invertebrates, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, 10024, USA

    Niles Eldredge

Authors
  1. Niles Eldredge
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Human Origins, Berkeley, California, USA

    William H. Kimbel

  2. State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York, USA

    Lawrence B. Martin

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© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Eldredge, N. (1993). What, If Anything, Is a Species?. In: Kimbel, W.H., Martin, L.B. (eds) Species, Species Concepts and Primate Evolution. Advances in Primatology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3745-2_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3745-2_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-3747-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-3745-2

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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