The concept of species is flawed. So why is it so important to us?

When it comes to the fossil record, what is a species? And how is a ring of stalagmites made by Neanderthals challenging our identity as a species of Homo?

We're inundated through the media with biology news about invasive species, endemic species, native species, endangered species, reintroduced species, new species and extinct species.

Identifying and describing species is difficult for living organisms let alone from fossil remains. If you watch a wildlife documentary or visit a natural history museum, you may get the impression that our knowledge of life on Earth is fairly comprehensive, but for the majority of described species we know little detail about their anatomy, biology and behaviour.