INTERESTING FACTS & UPDATES ON HYBRID ANIMALS
Hybridisation is a natural phenomenon where two different species breed and produce a new one. It shows how natural selection occurs through hybridisation where a new species either becomes better than the parental ones or does not. In this context, we will discuss animals mixed up in terms of hybridisation that exist among us.
We can find cross breeding animals in zoos and labs where scientists try to find out hybridisation results. They look for better-surviving animal species also. This phenomenon occurs naturally among plants and animals. Here, we will discuss what hybridisation is and what examples we can find to support this excellent biological fact.
What is Hybridisation?
Hybridisation is a process where two complementary genes of parents mix to form a new one. It results in a new species with visible physical traits from both parents. It is widely seen in plants. A genetic difference is identified in the new species. It is a natural process that can be seen in animals too.
This natural phenomenon gives birth to weaker or stronger species that might be able to survive. It means that some species may be better than their parents in survival whereas some are not. Those who are not capable enough like their parents become obsolete.
The different types of hybridization with examples are:
- Interspecific Hybridisation
This is a phenomenon where two different species of the same genus are hybridised as parents to give birth to a new one. The best example is a mule. It is a hybrid of a male donkey and a female horse.
- Intergeneric Hybridisation
It is a process where hybridisation occurs between two organisms belonging to two different genera. It is generally seen among plants. Inter-generic species among animals are very rare. One of the best examples is a wholphin.
Hybridization’s benefits are not a new idea
As far back as the 1930s, botanists realized that hybridization plays a role in the evolution of plant species. In 1938, Edgar Anderson and Leslie Hubricht laid out the idea of introgression to describe the hybridization of species of herbaceous perennial wildflowers of the Tradescantia genus. The crosses led to offspring with an even split of parental genetic material, and typically those offspring then repeatedly bred with one of the original parent species, while still retaining genetic material from the other parent species. Alternatively, hybrids bred with other hybrids, and, eventually, entirely new plant species would emerge. Zoologists knew about these and other examples of hybridization in the plant world, but there was a perception, Taylor says, that cross-species breeding was much less common in animals. That idea stemmed from biologist Ernst Mayr’s description in the 1940s of the biological characteristics that defined species—essentially, any animal population that could not or did not breed with other, similar populations
Hybrid Animals From Interspecies Breeding
Hybridisation, as mentioned earlier, can be seen among animals too. We have many instances where artificial hybridisation has led to the formation of new species with distinct features.
Here is a list of mixed animals that reinstates the phenomenon of hybridisation.
- Liger
This animal is a mix of a male lion and a female tiger. It has distinct physical properties that match a lion and a tiger. They grow bigger than lions and tigers and can weigh more than 400 kg. There is no natural existence of ligers in nature. They are bred in captivity.
- Tigon
As the name suggests, we can clearly understand that this breed is the result of hybridisation between a male tiger and a female lion. The male tigons develop luscious manes and have stripes. Tigons are generally smaller than ligers. They also look similar to the tiger fathers rather than the lion mothers.
- Zonkey
You can clearly figure out the parents of a zonkey. This new species is a result of the hybridisation between a zebra and a donkey. It is also called zebroid.
- Jaglion
It is a perfect example of animal cross mating. This new species is a result of the mating between a male jaguar and a female lion.
- Wholphin
This example can make the top of a hybrid animals list due to its rareness. It is the result of the hybridisation between a male killer whale and a female bottled-nose dolphin. To our surprise, this dolphin species is not at all related to killer whales.The physical features of a wholphin show a remarkable balance between the features of its parents. A wholphin has 66 teeth, the average of 44 teeth of a killer whale and 88 teeth of a bottled-nose dolphin. It is a perfect example of when different animals mate.
- Leopon
Leopons are the results of mating between female lions and male leopards. They are bigger than leopards and are almost similar in size to lions. They also have the traits of leopards such as climbing trees and loving to dive into the water.
- Beefalo
This is a common hybrid of cows and buffaloes, a perfect example of inter-specific hybridisation. It is a hybrid between an American bison female and a domestic bull. The best part is that this hybrid is bigger than cows and can breed on its own. This intentional crossbreed offers a good substitute for traditional beef and is easier to raise.
- Grolar Bear
As the name suggests, you can easily figure out that a grolar bear is a hybrid between a polar bear and a grizzly bear. They develop a caramel skin, a perfect combination of white polar bear fur and brown grizzly bear fur. They weigh around 450 kg.
- Cama
The hybrid between a llama and a camel is called a cama. This species has been developed by artificial insemination of female llamas. Llamas are five times smaller than camels. It means natural hybridisation will not be possible.
- Savannah Cat
This is the perfect example of man made animals. This cat breed is developed by interbreeding between an African Serval and a domestic cat. Its exotic fur gives it a wild appearance but its physical traits are quite similar to the domestic ones. They are slender and agile and love to be around humans.
Mule
- A mule (horse x donkey) has the size of a horse and the sure-footedness and endurance of a donkey.
- Mules are not as stubborn as donkeys.
Zebroids
- Zebroids (zebra x horse) usually have the appearance of a horse but with faded zebra stripes which gives them a striking appearance.
Cross Animal Meeting Resulting in Marvellous Breeds
The examples given above suggest how remarkable new breeds develop from common parents. The physical features of a hybrid species are the perfect blend of the features of its parents. All these examples are proof that hybridisation leads to something new. A new species evolves with remarkable and distinct features. The man made animals prove the efficiency of hybridisation. The domesticated and novelty dog and cat breeds are the best examples to ponder upon.
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.
List of Animals that are Hybrids
- Beefalo (Buffalo x Cow)
- Cama (Came x Llama)
- Coywolf (Coyote x Wolf)
- Dzo (Cow x Wild Yak)
- Geep (Goat x Sheep)
- Grolar Bear (Polar Bear x Brown Bear)
- Hinny (Female Donkey x Male Horse)
- Jaglion (Male Jaguar x Female Lion)
- Leopon (Male Leopard x Female Lion)
- Liger (Male Lion x Female Tiger)
- Mulard (Mallard x Muscovy Duck)
- Mule (Male Donkey x Female Horse)
- Narluga (Female Narwhal x Male Beluga)
- Pizzly (Grizzly Bear x Polar Bear)
- Pumapard (Male Cougar x Female Leopard)
- Savannah (Serval Cat x Domestic Cat)
- Tigard (Male Tigar x Female Leopard)
- Tigon (Male Tiger x Female Lion)
- Toyger (Bengal Cat x Tabby Cat)
- Wholphin (Whalex Dolphin)
- Zebroid (Zebrax Any other Equine)
- Zonkey (Zebra x Donkey)
- Zorse (Zebra x Horse)
- Zubron (Cow x European Bison)
FAQs
- Which of the farm animalsare hybrids?
Beefalo, zubron, cama, dzo, yakalo, hinny
- 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.
- Which are the cutest and coolest hybrids?
Pizzly bear, geep, zonkey, narluga.
- Which are the most dangerous hybrid animals?
Liger (900 psi bite force); tigon (450 psi bite force)
- 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.
- Which is the rarest hybrid animal?
Wholphin
- Which are the weirdest hybrid animals?
Zonkey, wholphin, beefalo, cama,
- Is there any sharkhybrid 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.
- 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.
Hybrid Animals
Hybrids are animals that are produced by two completely different species breeding together, which produces the hybrid offspring. A hybrid animal is also infertile in most cases which means that they cannot reproduce and therefore they are unable to create a completely new species.
It should be noted that they are completely different from a “cross-bred” or “mongrel” animal, such as you would find in dogs, for example, which is when two different breeds of the same animal produce offspring.
Not all species are able to create living hybrid offspring and many are born weak and die young. However, species that are fairly similar – such as donkeys, horses, and zebras, or lions, tigers, and leopards – do generally provide healthy hybrids. Of those that are born healthy, the hybrids usually have a mix of their parent’s looks and characteristics.
List of Hybrid Animals
- Mule – male donkey x female horse
- Liger – male lion x female tiger
- Tigon – male tiger x female lion
- Wholphin – false killer whale x dolphin
- Leopon – male leopard x female lion
- Beefalo – buffalo x cow
- Grolar Bear – grizzly bear x polar bear
- Jaglion – jaguar x lion
- Zebroid – zebra x horse
- Cama – camel x llama
- Coywolf – coyote x wolf
- Zonkey – zebra x donkey
TAG-Beefalo (Buffalo x Cow),Cama (Came x Llama) ,Coywolf (Coyote x Wolf) ,Dzo (Cow x Wild Yak),Geep (Goat x Sheep),Grolar Bear (Polar Bear x Brown Bear),Hinny (Female Donkey x Male Horse),Jaglion (Male Jaguar x Female Lion),Leopon (Male Leopard x Female Lion),Liger (Male Lion x Female Tiger),Mulard (Mallard x Muscovy Duck),Mule (Male Donkey x Female Horse),Narluga (Female Narwhal x Male Beluga),Pizzly (Grizzly Bear x Polar Bear),Pumapard (Male Cougar x Female Leopard),Savannah (Serval Cat x Domestic Cat),Tigard (Male Tigar x Female Leopard),Tigon (Male Tiger x Female Lion),Toyger (Bengal Cat x Tabby Cat),Wholphin (Whalex Dolphin),Zebroid (Zebrax Any other Equine),Zonkey (Zebra x Donkey),Zorse (Zebra x Horse),Zubron (Cow x European Bison)
Compiled & Shared by- Team, LITD (Livestock Institute of Training & Development)
Image-Courtesy-Google
Reference-On Request.
