When Things Get Mixed Up

 

In our current unit in Biology we have been studying ecosystems around the world. This week, the topic of species came up. Technically a species is usually defined as: a set of animals or plants in which the members have similar characteristics to each other and can breed with each other. (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/species) This usually works, but in some cases it is still somewhat artificial. Sometimes we have organisms that could reproduce together, but because of differences in habitat, niche, or major geographical separation they are separated into different species. The dog, the coyote, and the wolf can all reproduce together. They are basically dogs. It is thought that our own domestic dog has been originally bred from a wolf ancestry. Because they usually live in distinctly different habitats that do not usually overlap, they are given different species names. The wolf is Canis lupis, the coyote is Canis lantrans, and the Dog Canis familiaris (often written Canis lupis familiaris).

Most of the odd mash-ups happen because of man’s intervention (truthfully, man’s laziness). They usually happen in collections where animals are not kept separate because of cost cutting decisions. Much of our early knowledge has come from the circus train years. Travelling circuses were notorious for keeping various kinds of animals together. It was only a matter of time.

The animal that results us usually named using the father’s name first. So a lion and a tiger, although they live on separate continents can actually interbreed, given the chance. I guess big cats are just, big cats. If the dad is a lion, it is called a liger. If he is a tiger, you get a tion. You can even add leopards into the mix and get a jaglion (jaguar + lion) or a leopon (leopard + lion). This also can happen between smaller cat species and our own domestic housecat.

Here are some other crazy mixes.

Dog-Wolf-Coyote can give a coywolf or a coydog.

Zebroids: We know from history that horses and donkeys are separate species (mules are sterile) but add a zebra in the mix and you can get all kinds of things. You can get a zorse, a zebrule, a zonkey, a zebonkey, or even a zony.

Bears are not immune. Even in the wild we find grizzly bear + polar bear = grolar bear. If you switch the parents, you get a pizzly bear.

A male camel + female llama = cama. You can get even get a geep (goat + sheep).

Marine park mismanagement has given us wholphins, a bottlenose dolphin + false killer whale. Narwhals and beluga whales can mix into narluga.

 

It just goes to show you that creation still has a lot of tricks up its sleeve. It’s what makes biology so much fun. You can’t make this stuff up. So what’s next? El Chupacabra is sounding more real all the time…