When We Met Other Human Species

[Random Boomer]

7. It's just not that simple

The line between species and sub-species is kinda fuzzy and always subject to change. Taxonomy is really an abstract concept we're trying to superimpose on nature, and our schema isn't always a precise fit.

For instance, wolves and dogs used to be considered separate species, now they're categorized as sub-species. They share approximately 99.9% of their DNA, which is more than enough commonality to enable cross-breeding. But even so, you can immediately tell when you're looking at a wolf versus a dog.

Humans share approximately 99.7% of their DNA with Neanderthals, so no, we're not the exact same species, but we're pretty close. Yet we're different enough that humans would have recognized that Neanderthals were "not us" upon running into each other.