Breeds and Races

[koopaul]

Looking at past topics here it seems that it is generally accepted that Koopas and Goombas and so on have different species. However I'm about to throw out a new idea to you guys.

Breeds.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breed

"A breed is a group of domestic animals or plants with a homogeneous appearance, behavior, and other characteristics that distinguish it from other animals of the same species."

Basically all dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are all a part of the same species but have different breeds like Chihuahua and Great Dane.

Perhaps all Koopas are the same species but just different breeds. Or they could all be different races of the same species.

In real life we have different races of honey bees that are all a part of the same species but have different traits due to their environment.

Sarisa in her Mushroomfolk Classification considers Toads and Dryites two different species, but to me that would be like saying different races of humans are different species.

There's another thing to be considered, Eusociality! Like ants who are of the same colony but look different and have different positions in the group like Queens and Workers.


This makes classify things a lot harder I know but it's something to think about.

[Sarisa]

I like this idea, and I should use it to resolve some issues with very narrowly divided groups like my classification's "koopas proper" group. I don't think it resolves quite as much as you think it does, and you won't persuade me to unite all "koopas" as one species, since even dogs can't cover a range that includes Buzzy Beetles, Boomerang Bros., and Bowser.

A problem for invoking eusociality is that most eusocial insects have a haplo-diploid sex determination system; in other words, a queen can choose to lay fertilized eggs that will become female, or unfertilized eggs that will become male. Unlike queens, drones can only have daughters. In SMB3 we learned that Bowser has children of both sexes, in PM we learned that male Goombas have fathers, in PM2 we learned that male Nokonokos have fathers, and in BIS we learned that Toad children live in family units with a mother and a father. While that isn't complete proof, it does strongly suggest that neither Koopas nor Mushroomfolk are haplo-diploid or, for that matter, eusocial.

[koopaul]

Yeah that makes sense. However I still believe that any "Para" version of a species is the same species since stomping them causes them to lose their wings and return to the normal variant. I'm one to believe that Paratroopas are just powered up versions of regular Koopa Troopas.

Just like Mario who can become Raccoon Mario or whatever, getting hit causes him to revert back to his original form.

Any color variation I believe could be a different breed or race because they are practically the same except for color. There are also Koopa's that are simply wearing a different outfit from the rest like Koopatrols. Magikoopas could really just be regular Koopa Troopas trained in the art of magic and are now wearing robes and glasses.


But I completely agree that things like Buzzy Beetles are different species.

As for Hammer/ Boomerang/ Fire Bros and more, they all look the same except for different outfits and different abilities. I believe they are all the same race but have trained in different skills.

[Clive Koopa]

There are many different kinds of koopas ranging from koopa troopas to hammer brothers to Bowser himself. I believe the hammer brothers and the boomerang brothers are of the same species. Sledge Brothers and Chargin' Chuck may be related but I have never seen a Chargin' Chuck's face so there is no evidence for that.

Pretty much every turtle-like creature that appears in the Mario series is a Koopa.

I'm not sure if it counts but the green koopas from the Super Show and in particular that one troopa what regularly appears could be considered a different race of koopa. I know that these designs were never used again elsewhere but its still something to consider.