Hybridization in animals is a process where parents of two different but closely related species (in most cases) are mixed or bred together. The new species that evolve due to this mixing are known as hybrid animals. The process of hybridization is of biological importance since it results in an increase in genetic variety instrumental in evolution.
On the flip side, the increase in hybrids has posed a threat to conservation since it has been responsible for the extinction of several species directly or indirectly. Following Halden’s Rule the adult hybrid females have a shorter lifespan than the hybrid males and also their non-hybrid counterparts. The kunga, a female donkey- male wild ass mix extinct at present, is the first hybrid animal.
Not just biologically, we have also known about hybrids in folklore and literary works. For instance, anggitay was a unique creature with a female’s upper body and a horse’s lower body. Kurma, on the other hand, was a tortoise-human hybrid. Regarding books, there have been several human-werewolf characters like William Blake and Bisclavret.
Q. Which of the farm animals are hybrids? Beefalo, zubron, cama, dzo, yakalo, hinny
Q. Can hybrid animals reproduce? Most hybrids cannot reproduce as they do not have the proper sex cells. In fact, they are a product of two different species whose chromosomes do not match. However, there are exceptions; ligers and tigons aren’t infertile. A male liger is sterile but female ligers (with low fertility) can reproduce when bred with a tiger. On the other hand, tigons don’t survive infancy; if they do, these hybrids could suffer from neurological and physical problems throughout their lives.
Q. Which are the cutest and coolest hybrids? Pizzly bear, geep, zonkey, narluga.
Q. Which are the most dangerous hybrid animals? Liger (900 psi bite force); tigon (450 psi bite force)
Q. Is chicken a hybrid? All chickens aren’t hybrid. However, the hybrid ones developed during the 1950s when meat and eggs were in high demand by crossbreeding the productive purebred strains.
Q. Which is the rarest hybrid animal? Wholphin
Q. Which are the weirdest hybrid animals? Zonkey, wholphin, beefalo, cama,
Q. Is there any shark hybrid animal? In 2012 around 57 unknown hybrid sharks were discovered by researchers along Australia’s east coast, a cross between the Australian blacktip shark, and the blacktip shark.
Q. Are there any hybrid elephants? Motty was the only confirmed hybrid elephant species created by crossing the African and Asian Elephants. There are other unconfirmed records, too, of three other hybrids born in circuses or zoos born deformed and didn’t survive for long.
