Interbreeding with Animals

Discussion in 'Biology & Genetics' started by lixluke, Feb 1, 2007.

  1. lixluke Refined Reinvention Valued Senior Member

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    What would happen if different species of animals to interbreed?
    Like say a lion and tiger. A crow and dove. Human and chimp. Dog and cat. Horses and cows. Chickens and ducks. Or even something totally different like Hamsters and frogs.

    What are the limits of type of animal's ability to breed? Do all animals have to breed with the same kind? How did that happen evolutionarily?

    Evolution seems discrete instead of consistent. Like if animal A evolved into animal B. Then animal B evolved into animal C.
     
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  3. IceAgeCivilizations Banned Banned

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    Lions and tigers can interbreed, as they are members of the same syngameon.
     
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  5. redarmy11 Registered Senior Member

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    A liger. Yesterday.
     
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  7. tablariddim forexU2 Valued Senior Member

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  8. BenTheMan Dr. of Physics, Prof. of Love Valued Senior Member

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    I think the two mates have to have the same number of chromosomes. There may be some other issues as well, and I am no biologist!
     
  9. RoyLennigan Registered Senior Member

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    you're right.
     
  10. MetaKron Registered Senior Member

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    Horses have 64 chromosomes. Donkeys have 62. Mules have 63. They do not have to have the same number of chromosomes.
     
  11. IceAgeCivilizations Banned Banned

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    What, Roy is wrong?
     
  12. MetaKron Registered Senior Member

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  13. BenTheMan Dr. of Physics, Prof. of Love Valued Senior Member

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    So perhaps there are other conditions?
     
  14. IceAgeCivilizations Banned Banned

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    They essentially look very similar, such as llamas, camels, and alpacas.
     
  15. RoyLennigan Registered Senior Member

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    Ok, so I'm a little off. They have to have similar enough genes to create progeny. But can a mule have offspring? Didn't think so.

    That mix is a dead end, the only mules are ones from both a horse and a donkey.

    Horses and donkeys are very closely related, as well, so their genes have moderately close parings.
     
  16. IceAgeCivilizations Banned Banned

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    Turtles can "interbreed" up to the Family level, and many animals to the Genus level, so species is actually a meaningless term.
     
  17. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    If they can mate and produce viable offspring, they are not separate species.
     
  18. iam Banned Banned

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    with further genetic breakthroughs we might be able to arbitrarily take certain genes after we've sequenced them that benefit us. For instance, who wouldn't want eagle vision or be cancer-free as sharks.
     
  19. D H Some other guy Valued Senior Member

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    The key reason why mules are infertile is that the horse and donkey do not have the same number of chromosomes.
     
  20. MetaKron Registered Senior Member

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    The question wasn't whether the offspring were fertile. It was whether they could interbreed at all.

    The offspring of a horse and a donkey are not infertile every time. Neither are the offspring of a lion and a tiger. I think that the fact that they are different species and can interbreed proves speciation.
     
  21. 2inquisitive The Devil is in the details Registered Senior Member

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    Mules are a cross between a male donkey and a female horse. Hennies are a cross between a male horse and a female donkey. Both mules and hennies can be of either sex, male or female. Almost all male mules are gelded (castrated) when they are young, so there are very few instances of offspring from male mules. A very small percentage of female mules are not sterile and do produce offspring. It is considered a freak occurance, but it does happen.
     
  22. lixluke Refined Reinvention Valued Senior Member

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    Holy weird!

    Why don't lions and tigers interbreed in the wild to make those huge things?
    What happens if it is a female lion and a male tiger?
    Is it true that the males are sterile? What's up with that? What about dogs? Any mutants? If we breed a human with a monkey, maybe we will get king kong.

    That thing can probably take on an elephant.
     
  23. MetaKron Registered Senior Member

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    It's a male African lion on a female Siberian or Bengal tiger. The tigress lacks the ability that the female lion has to suppress the growth of the male fetus that the female lion has. Somehow it still works out. A tigress has been known to give birth to four live male ligers and survive. They're pretty tough.

    They don't do this in the wild because they live on different continents.
     

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