Wood will have an effect on tone, but compared to other factors it's all but negligible. Rather than species I'd rather just go with density causing the effect. I reckon two basses made from two wood species with all but identical densities will sound closer to each other than two basses of the same species but one being made from a far less dense sample than the other. The denser the wood, the fewer frequencies it will absorb.
But, I also feel we may as well start considering the merits of playing bass on days with low barometric air pressure as the less dense air will allow the strings to vibrate more freely with less damping effect. Rediculous? Maybe. But in a band mix in the real world only slightly less rediculous than worrying about wood species.
I don't like the word 'Tonewood' as it implies some mystical wood for a better tone, where after research (yes I am that sad) it merely means any wood that is used to build a guitar. Yes plywood is a tonewood if it's used for guitar building, and it is, so it is.