Can "which" refer to animals?

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1

<p>Question in the blue book:</p>

<p>Observation of diverse animal species shows that the most successful in the struggle for survival are those which are most adaptable to changes in their world.</p>

<p>The answer in the book is No Error, but I circled "those which". I thought "which" only referred to inanimate objects, like a house or a country. In this context, "which" can also refer to animal species?</p>

<p>What about human specie? (The human specie which...or...the human specie who)</p>

2

<p>I think which can refer to animals but CANNOT refer to humans.</p>

3

<p>Would it be different if the noun was “human specie”?</p>

4

<p>Is “specie” a word? I believe specie is a coin.</p>

5

<p>Just as “it” can be used to refer to an animal, I’m sure that “which” can be used in the same manner. However, “which” may be referring to species in this case which is a classification and consequently, inanimate.</p>