What is in a name? A lot if you're a biologist. Similarly how we have nuclear families, extended families, and far flung cousins, all species are related and some are closer to each other than others. Taxonomy is a way for us to keep track on where each species belong on the tree of life, it's part of our collective family history, so to speak.

Humanity has always pride itself of it's position in nature. We have been preconditioned by society to see ourselves as special, unique, or chosen. How about non-human animals? How much can we identify ourselves with them? Even considering the lack of communication and understanding. David Armstrong's short story is about bridging that gap...and the ethical consequences thereof.

How much are animals like us, and how much are we like animals?

One of the most basic questions in biology throughout history is regarding our origins: how did we came to be? Paleonto-biologists look of answers in our past, evolutionary biologists look at other species (our biological cousins, so to speak). But developmental biologists look for it from how we were created: the first few moments of our conception.

By studying this, we may discover more than our origins, maybe even our purpose in nature.

If you have a sibling, you can probably note down some differences between yourselves, one of you have your father's eyes, while the other have you mother's. If you then compare yourself with your first cousins, the differences maybe more pronounced.

Now, how far do we have to go back the family tree to be completely unrecognizable? And how did this came about?

Now, this topic might be controversial to some, but be that as it may, it currently provides the best explanation to how all life on Earth are the way they are. Note that we use the word "currently", as the theory of evolution through natural selection is ever changing with every new evidence discovered: fossils, taxonomy, genetics.

It is quite poetic that one of the most controversial theories in science also goes through the process of evolution. Maybe we'll cover how the idea changed since Darwin, but for now, we must first understand how it works.