Relying only on genetic information to classify living things can be tricky for several reasons:

1. Variation Within Species

• Genetic information doesn’t always show how much variation there is within the same species. This can be more than 30%. Differences can happen because of the environment, the stage of development, or where the species is found.

2. Hidden Species

• Sometimes, genetic tests might not show how many different types of living things there are. About 20% of species that scientists describe look the same but are actually different at the genetic level. If we focus only on genetics, we might not see these hidden species.

3. Mixing of Species

• When two species breed together, it creates hybrids, which can make classifying them harder. Research shows that up to 10% of plant species and nearly 20% of animal species can be hybrids. This mixing can confuse scientists when they try to classify these organisms.

4. Limited Genes

• If scientists only look at a few genes when classifying species, they might miss important information. Studies have shown that using more genes can improve classifications by up to 40%, highlighting the importance of a broader approach.

5. Time Changes

• Genetic information shows the history of species but may not reflect recent changes. For instance, looking at how the environment affects species and combining that with genetic data can help clarify classifications that have changed quickly over the last 2,000 years.

6. Ecological Relationships

• Focusing only on genetics ignores how different species interact with each other and their environment. Understanding these relationships can provide up to 50% more information about how species work together compared to genetics alone.

In summary, while genetic information is important for classifying species, using a combination of physical traits and ecological information gives us a better overall picture of biodiversity.