Species. Naming, Grouping, and Defining
Species is a fundamental concept in modern biology, the building blocks of Earth’s vast and diverse biosphere. While the principal function of modern biology is naming, grouping, and defining species, the concept of species opens a window into the checkered history of evolution.
The term “species” emerged in the fifteenth century, taken from the Latin species meaning “a particular sort, kind, or type” originating from the Indo-European root *spek- a word meaning “to observe” – the language of Japheth, one of Noah’s three sons.
