While I was reading about book which exploring the development of "What is Life?" I came across the following definition basically for "species":
"a group of organisms that interbreed only among themselves..."
While reading on further on the net I came across this one:
"A species is often defined as a group of individuals that actually or potentially interbreed in nature. In this sense, a species is the biggest gene pool possible under natural conditions." -
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/evo101/VADefiningSpecies.shtml] [url]http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evosite/evo101/VADefiningSpecies.shtml [/url]
I found this basis for classifying interesting. It caused me to wonder how developments in European society itself, in their thinking, in their relationship with the rest of the world influenced how they approached science. Much of this science developed at a time when they were consolidating their notion of whiteness and thereby their difference from others in particular dark skinned Africans as well as colonizing and enslaving Africans and others.