This is actually something being debated in Australia. Until a few years ago, Dingoes were considered the same species as the regular dog Canis familiaris. Recent DNA studies have shown them to be distinct, however. So now there’s Canis dingo. Only, Dingoes can interbreed with the regular dog, which normally is the test for them being the same species. Maybe that makes them a subspecies?
So, yeah - even we don’t know what they are. If they were raised by humans, they are happy friendly doggos. If in the wild, then they’re dingoes.
Not that simple. Brown bears and polar bears produce fertile offspring, as do bison and cattle, and the false killer whale with a bottlenose dolphin. (Far from an exhaustive list)
It’s generally a useful definition but it isn’t a “rule”.
This is actually something being debated in Australia. Until a few years ago, Dingoes were considered the same species as the regular dog Canis familiaris. Recent DNA studies have shown them to be distinct, however. So now there’s Canis dingo. Only, Dingoes can interbreed with the regular dog, which normally is the test for them being the same species. Maybe that makes them a subspecies?
So, yeah - even we don’t know what they are. If they were raised by humans, they are happy friendly doggos. If in the wild, then they’re dingoes.
It depends if their progeny can reproduce. A male donkey and a female horse can make a mule but mules are sterile.
Not that simple. Brown bears and polar bears produce fertile offspring, as do bison and cattle, and the false killer whale with a bottlenose dolphin. (Far from an exhaustive list)
It’s generally a useful definition but it isn’t a “rule”.