Taxonomical uses of the species concept in the human lineage

Abstract

Different species concepts, which broadened the scope of Mayr’s Biological Species Concept, have been put forward aiming to produce sound taxonomies of fossil taxa. Here, we propose using a simple one, the Evolutionary Species Concept, on the grounds of considering that separation of populations – disregarding other issues – is enough to describe the evolution of the human lineage. The question of the acceptable number of Middle Pleistocene hominin species is used as an example.