[bondserv]

To be precise I should have said that horses and donkeys are of the same genus, not species. If you look at post #295 you will see that the word species is commonly used to refer to the family, which contains the genus and species.

You have concisely made the original point I was trying to make. There are more dead ends from variations in life forms than opportunities.

[Doctor Stochastic]

If you look at post #295 you will see that the word species is commonly used to refer to the family, which contains the genus and species.

This is a new claim. I have never heard the word species used to mean family (in the biological sense) except by you. Perhaps you could give us some citations wherein this usage is common.