Is Cross-Breeding Possible Between Humans and Other Animals?

  • Thread starter Skhandelwal
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In summary, species can stop cross breeding by different mechanisms, often due to differences in physiology or genetics.
  • #1
Skhandelwal
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Naturally in jungle, or intentionally by men, does it happen? How about something close to men? Like monkeyxmen?
 
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  • #2
Skhandelwal said:
Naturally in jungle, or intentionally by men, does it happen? How about something close to men? Like monkeyxmen?

It occurs naturally, occasionally, lion/tigers or zebra/horses.
It is quite common man-made, mules are donkey*horses.
If it is possible depends on how close the two species are.

If they are too different nothing happens (except perhaps a court appearance)

If they are closer there is an offspring. Often it is sterile (eg mules) sometimes it's fertility depends on which way round the parent species are, sometimes it depends on the sex of the offspring. Then it gets more complicated in the next generation, if a lion/tiger mates with a tiger ... This is one of the mechanisms for new species to form.
 
  • #3
Most of what occurs in speciation is isolation of one gene pool from another. In other words, some mechanism evolves to prevent cross-breeding.

Ass x Horse -> sterile mule. This is an example of a breeding barrier - the mule can't have offspring.

So the real question is: how do species stop cross breeding, not if it occurs.

BTW a lot of our modern crop plants are the result of intentional cross breeding - wheat derives from plants like emmer which was then cross bred over time - result modern wheat.
 
  • #4
jim mcnamara said:
So the real question is: how do species stop cross breeding, not if it occurs.
It seems to be mostly a case of 'not my type'.
There is a cricket which occurs in genetically identical groups with different tunes. They will only choose to breed witht he same song type. If you play the correct species' tune they will breed normally.

BTW a lot of our modern crop plants are the result of intentional cross breeding - wheat derives from plants like emmer which was then cross bred over time - result modern wheat.
Not sure if that's really cross breeding or just picking offspring with desired characteristics.
Of course the definition of species (like life) gets a bit trickier when you look more closely.
 
  • #5
hmm...how come mules can't have offspring?

And has there been a cross breeding where humans were involved?
 
  • #6
Simple answer - because.
Complex answer - to do with biochemistry, chromosones, surface proteins and rejection mechanisms.

It seems to be just ones of those things. Horses+donkeys breed to produce sterile mules.
Often the female crossbreed is fertile but the male not eg.If male lion + female tiger -> liger, male ligers are sterile, female ligers are fertile.
This is probably because a female carries two copies of anything on the X chromosone so has a compatable copy of her own.

The nearest anaimal to man is a chimp which is too different to produce offspring.
Sheep also don't work despite the efforts of the more rural parts of the UK + Australia.

Interestingly there doesn't seem to be genetic evidence that man cross-breed with Neanderthal even though they were genetically much closer. It may be that this occurred but any offspring were sterile and so haven't left any trace in our DNA.
 

1. What is cross-breeding?

Cross-breeding is the process of breeding two different species or varieties of plants or animals in order to create offspring with desired traits. This can occur naturally or through deliberate human intervention.

2. How does cross-breeding happen?

Cross-breeding can occur naturally through sexual reproduction, where the genetic material from two different species or varieties is combined in the offspring. It can also happen through human intervention, where specific plants or animals are bred together to produce offspring with desired traits.

3. What are the benefits of cross-breeding?

Cross-breeding can result in offspring with desirable traits such as increased resistance to disease, improved yield or productivity, and better adaptability to different environments. It can also increase genetic diversity, which is important for the survival and evolution of species.

4. What are the risks of cross-breeding?

Cross-breeding can also lead to undesirable traits being passed down to offspring, such as increased susceptibility to disease or reduced fertility. It can also result in the loss of genetic diversity if certain traits become dominant and others are lost.

5. Is cross-breeding ethical?

The ethics of cross-breeding depend on the specific situation and the intentions of the breeders. In some cases, cross-breeding can be seen as a way to improve the genetic diversity and health of a species. However, it can also be viewed as unnatural and potentially harmful to the animals or plants involved. It is important for breeders to consider the welfare of the organisms and the potential consequences of their actions.

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