Quotes About Species

I am an anarchist in my personal life ... but I don't feel we have evolved far enough as a species to make anarchy work in society itself. We still need government to transfer the wealth from those who have too much to those who have too little, to make sure important projects get done, and keep territorial humans from screwing over and killing each other.

Butterflies are a cold-blooded species. That's why in the country you'll often see them sitting in the middle of the road. Try not to hit them with your car! (The butterfly does not survive this process.)

If one of the species you're using in your experiment fails every test you give it, the problem may be you, the researcher, not the animal. You may have failed to understand what is relevant to the way a bird sees the world.

Tempting as it may be to interpret the behavior of other animals in terms of human mental processes, it's perhaps even more tempting to reject the possibility of kinship. It's what primatologist Frans de Waal calls "anthropodenial," blindness to humankind characteristics of other species,"Those who are in anthropodenial," says de Waal, "try to build a brick wall to separate humans from the rest of the animal kingdom.

Surprising," says Lefebvre, "but reassuring in a way: At least we found one test that grassquits do well. If one of the species you're using in your experiment fails every test you give it, the problem may be you, the researcher, not the animal. You may have failed to understand what is relevant to the way a bird sees the world.

Would you like some tea?" She wrinkled her nose. "Is there booze in it?" He looked into the pitcher. "Just tea. No imbibing for me tonight. I have two papers due Monday. Homework over spring break. Can you believe that?" "No!" she exclaimed, stepping closer to him. I do my homework clearly was the mating call for their species.

Most of the time, it felt like my father and I were completely different species. Possibly literally, depending on the day and whether or not I actually qualified as human at the time.

It looks like you've found an intellectual equal, Mulch, said Holly. It's a pity he isn't a girl; then you could marry him. Mulch imitated shock. Romance outside your species. Now THAT's disgusting. What kind of weirdo would kiss someone when they weren't even part of the same species?

She supposed this irritating bickering was how the males of every species showed affection.

Saving a species would give me a certain satisfaction, and no child has ever won the prize before, not even the great Artemis Fowl.

Discontent is at the root of the creative process: the most gifted members of the human species are at their creative best when they cannot have their way.

For our miserable species would never lavish worship on a just and benevolent God from whom they had nothing to fear; they would only feel an empty and thankless gratitude for their benefits. Without purgatory and hell, your God would indeed be a useless creature.

Qu'en savez-vous? dit le docteur. Mais quoi qu'il en soit, le nombre des épouses varie simplement comme le mode d'alimentation de l'espèce. Les lapins, les Turcs, les moutons, les artistes, et d'une façon générale tous les herbivores sont polygames; les renards, les Anglais, les loups, les banquiers, et d'une façon générale tous les carnivores sont monogames.

Population genetics certainly underpins the origin of species, but the persistence of species is commonly adjudicated by Earth's environmental dynamism.

Animal rights can be as extreme as not riding a horse, or not wearing leather, not having a pet at all. Animal welfare advocates are preventing the suffering of animals. And then there's conservation and species conservation and what conservation biologists do.

It has long been a fact familiar to geologists, that, both on the east and west coasts of the central part of Scotland, there are lines of raised beaches, containing marine shells of the same species as those now inhabiting the neighbouring sea.

When a species wants to tap the collective intelligence of a population, they don't take a poll; they don't take a vote. They form a real-time system.

Nothing has prepared sharks, squid, krill and other sea creatures for industrial-scale extraction that destroys entire ecosystems while targeting a few species.

Species co-evolve with the other species they eat, and very often, a relationship of interdependence develops: I'll feed you if you spread around my genes. A gradual process of mutual adaptation transforms something like an apple or a squash into a nutritious and tasty food for a hungry animal.

I was taught over and over again that the accumulation of random mutations led to evolutionary change - led to new species. I believed it until I looked for evidence.

Aquatic invasive species are destroying the environment, damaging fisheries, and costing American taxpayers billions of dollars annually.

Loyalty to one's kind can only go so far.

Is this how it is for a species that senses it is going extinct? Is there a feeling of loneliness, or unease, each morning, upon awakening?

The thing about nature is that each species does what it's best at. That's why it's all so locked together. I'm certain that at its center is some kind of peace or unity or harmony - the white light people speak of having when they come back from "the dead." And what does our species do best? We construct artificial systems wherein we are mighty predators, or mighty thinkers, or sagacious, benevolent rulers of the universe - allies with God even.