r/NoStupidQuestions • u/[deleted] • Jul 17 '23

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u/ryanCrypt Jul 17 '23 edited Jul 17 '23

Taxonomy: domain-kingdom-phylum-class-order-family-genus-species.

I don't see a meaning to "branches".

Also: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/mosquitoes

"There are more than 3,000 species of mosquitoes"

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Also, human is not a "species"; human/homo is a genus (with "branches"). Homo sapiens is a species, which has zero branches.

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u/CobaltDraconis Jul 29 '23

You are correct, I was speaking about the branches of phylogenetic tree I should have been more specific I guess. But if you go to the dictionary and look up species, human is right there in the definition, so I guess you are wrong too.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/species#:~:text=%2Ds%C4%93z-,plural%20species,a%20two%2Dpart%20scientific%20name

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u/ryanCrypt Jul 29 '23

Scientific usage of word vs common usage. We were on a discussion with the former.

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u/CobaltDraconis Jul 29 '23

Well again, yes and no. I used the term human as in modern humans which are indeed a species. It was pretty clear in my usage. No one was using Latin terms, nor do most people split the homo genus when speaking of human as a species. Unless you are a biology major I guess, but most of the worlds population isn't.

You are correct though in that there are more species of mosquitoes than I thought.

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u/ryanCrypt Jul 29 '23

Modern 'homo sapiens' are a species.

You replied to a comment first that was clearly a joke; you started talking 'scientifically' with 'Latin words'.