Why do so many people confuse the word 'species' with the word 'race'?

Question

As the two mean totally different things.

Race..a taxonomic group that is a division of a species; usually arises as a consequence of geographical isolation within a species.

Or

In biology, a race is any inbreeding group, including taxonomic subgroups such as subspecies, taxonomically subordinate to a species and superordinate to a subrace and marked by a pre-determined profile of latent factors of hereditary traits.

Answer 1

Any job that involves the word Race is a winner have you been up all night digesting books by any chance lol

Answer 2

The definition of "species" is still quite debated.  For example, anthropologists debate whether Neanderthals were humans, or another species, or another race.  Hence; you have two commonly used scientific names.  I think the debate is clouded by the fact that many people are uncomfortable with the idea of there being other human species, besides just us.  On the other hand, ornithologists will often describe whole new species of birds just based upon the color of a feather.

There used to be an old test that species could not interbreed, and if they did, they produced sterile hybrids like horse X donkey = mule, a sterile animal.  However, plants and animals hybridize like crazy, and it is often an leading cause of extinction.  

So the debate continues...

Answer 3

Species indicates an inbreeding group, sharing the same characteristics, whose so differentiated from other species that they are generally not able to reproduce.

Race is a general term used to describe common physical traits in humans:  Asian, Caucasoid, African, etc.

Answer 4

What are you trying to accomplish here?

You've wasted so many points asking the same question over and over again.

ethnicity (n) a term which represents social groups with a shared history, sense of identity, geography and cultural roots which may occur despite racial difference

Definition: race (n) a human population considered distinct based on physical characteristics.

race 1 (rs)

n.

1. A local geographic or global human population distinguished as a more or less distinct group by genetically transmitted physical characteristics.

2. A group of people united or classified together on the basis of common history, nationality, or geographic distribution: the German race.

3. A genealogical line; a lineage.

4. Humans considered as a group.

5. Biology

a. An interbreeding, usually geographically isolated population of organisms differing from other populations of the same species in the frequency of hereditary traits. A race that has been given formal taxonomic recognition is known as a subspecies.

b. A breed or strain, as of domestic animals.

6. A distinguishing or characteristic quality, such as the flavor of a wine

Race

race

1. The descendants of a common ancestor; a family, tribe, people, or nation, believed or presumed to belong to the same stock; a lineage; a breed. The whole race of mankind. (Shak) Whence the long race of alban fathers come. (Dryden)

Race: An ethnic stock or division of humans. Naturalists and ethnographers have long divided humans into a variable number of distinct races. However, DNA and other genetic studies have revealed that that most genetic variation, about 94%, is within so-called racial groups while these racial groupings differ from one another only in about 6% of their genes. This means that there is greater genetic variation within racial groups than between them. The concept of race is a superficial and subjective one. All of humankind is a single species

Species: A group of organisms belong to the same biological species if they are capable of interbreeding to produce fertile offspring. However the biological test of a species is not always available, and so there is also a morphological species concept based on anatomical similarities.  

    

spe·cies (spshz, -sz)

n. pl. species

1. Biology

a. A fundamental category of taxonomic classification, ranking below a genus or subgenus and consisting of related organisms capable of interbreeding. See Table at taxonomy.

b. An organism belonging to such a category, represented in binomial nomenclature by an uncapitalized Latin adjective or noun following a capitalized genus name, as in Ananas comosus, the pineapple, and Equus caballus, the horse.

2. Logic A class of individuals or objects grouped by virtue of their common attributes and assigned a common name; a division subordinate to a genus.

3.

a. A kind, variety, or type: "No species of performing artist is as self-critical as a dancer" Susan Sontag.

b. The human race; humankind.

4. Roman Catholic Church

a. The outward appearance or form of the Eucharistic elements that is retained after their consecration.

b. Either of the consecrated elements of the Eucharist.

5. Obsolete

a. An outward form or appearance.

b. Specie.

--------------------------------------...

The scientists don't even know what it is.

They don't even know what their talking about.

Every decade we find just a bunch of confused scientists all running in different directions. Not admitting to the fact that they actually don't know what their talking about.

"True knowledge exists in knowing that you know nothing.

True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us"

Science is theory every human mind is capable of making theories. Therefore, what use are scienctists, when the things they cannot explain they turn into a theory and try to pass as truth?

The concept of race is right to one scientist but also wrong to another. Kind of like God or global warming. OR almost like the general public. How words are spelt and grammar, right in one part of the country drive for half an hour and your wrong in another part. Not to mention you can legally change races from state to state.

WERE ALL SIMPLY CONFUSED INDIVIDUALS WHO REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT WERE TALKING ABOUT.

MOST OF US SIMPLY DON'T WANT TO ADMIT IT.

Answer 5

Coz they don't know anything about biology or genetics. i see they same thing over an over on every question about race.

urm, sher, you might wanna chill a bit before you pop a blood vessel.

i was reading an article that it's about a 50/50 split with genetecists as to if race is real. The sociologists believed least, biologists most. it's a valid pov.

Answer 6

In short race has to with breeding environment and diet over many years. Just look at dogs seriously you cant deny it.

Take a CD copy it 100 times and see what kind of sound quality you get. I'm trying to keep this simple but my guess humans physical attributes were soly depended on amount of UV rays of the sun on average in there specific location. Diet

vitamin d vitamin a protein. I really don't know but these things create Asians Africans and Caucasians. Today the world is smaller because of travel  we all live in different environments so the genetic code is further being manipulated and re processed for better adaptation and survival?

Answer 7

I suspect this is a lack of scientific education among the media. Face it, journalism majors are not the brightest bulbs in the string.  Any rancher will tell you that an Angus is not a good milk producing breed of cattle & the Holstein is.  The bull dog can't out run the greyhound & the pit bull is not a highly social animal.  The different "breeds" of animals have different characteristics, but a wolf can breed with any other canine & the American Bison can breed with any of our domestic cattle.  A coyote is simply not the same as a retriever, regardless of what the politically correct would have us believe.

The reason we use the term "race" to refer to humans is that "breed" just seems a bit harsh for polite use. Therefore, those that refuse to see any difference among breeds of the Human species are simply denying the obvious to foist their view of political correctness on the World. To even deny race exists is the height of self delusion.

We have a breed of animal & a race of humans (an animal) & these races or breeds do have distinguishing characteristics that can be determined by DNA.

However: Many species, in my opinion, should not have been declared a species, (example dogs) the dog is but a breed belonging to Canis Lupus.  This harkens back to the days when animals were classified more on looks, actions & habitat than actual DNA makeup.  The dog, is a domesticated gray wolf, although considerably modified in behaivior from the gray wolf.

The defination of order is often confused too.  Many do not realize humans belong to the order primate.

Answer 8

"Race" as applies to ethnic differential was the standard until the human genome was traced.

There is but one race on humans on the planet. This race has various identifying ethnic traits but they do not a 'race', make.

The species is now considered to be correctly referred to as our race.

The Human Race is Homo Sapiens Sapiens and to speak of Mongoloid or Caucasoid is, how do they say, old ha,t as regards to "race".

White people have considered themselves superior to blacks, probably since before recorded history. This proprietary view was based upon ignorance.

Now that we have finally traced our genome, most people are apparently unaware of the implication, I suppose, even a very few "professors, probably mostly at bible schools where the teaching staff are weak on science.

The old definition is in conflict with new knowledge and therefore...overridden.

Answer 9

A lack of education.

Answer 10

the question should be why do people confuse race with ethnicity.

Answer 11

Thank you for the explanation.

I've always used 'race' for humans only and 'species' for everything from humans to plants...

It's just due to plain ignorance on my part...

Answer 12

Suppose it is lack of education or pure confusion; however it is important to note that even top scientits are in debate over these two words.

  In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification, often defined as "a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring".

Often this definition is fine but sometimes we need to be more precise based on morphology or DNA similarity. The presence of specific locally-adapted traits may further subdivide species into subspecies.

All species are given a binomial name consisting of the generic name and specific name in humans this is homo sapiens.

In biology, a race is any inbreeding group, including taxonomic subgroups such as subspecies.

With regards to humans, the term race refers to the concept of dividing people into populations or groups on the basis of various sets of characteristics and beliefs about common ancestry. The most widely used human racial categories are based on visible traits such as skin color, facial features and hair texture.

The conception of human race is a controversial subject in science as well as in politics and society. Some scientists agree  that although "race" is a valid taxonomic concept in other species, it cannot be applied to humans because conception of race vary by culture and time. They argue that we don't know if the groups are natural types or socially constructed; observed differences in ability are difficult to record as being product s of genetic traits or environmental, social and cultural factors.

  In addition to this it seems ironic that people can easily comprehend different "breeds" of dog but cannot understand the word "race". Hmmmmm