Cross Breeding ~ Hybrid Animals & Plants
By Brandon V.
What Are Hybrids
In biology, hybrid has two meanings. The first meaning is the result of interbreeding between two animals or plants of different taxa. Hybrids between different species within the same genus are sometimes known as interspecific hybrids or crosses. Hybrids between different sub-species within a species are known as intra-specific hybrids. Hybrids between different genera are sometimes known as intergeneric hybrids. Extremely rare interfamilial hybrids have been known to occur (such as the guinea fowl hybrids). The second type of hybrid consists of crosses between populations, breeds or cultivars within a single species. This second meaning is often used in plant and animal breeding. In plant and animal breeding, hybrids are commonly produced and selected because they have desirable characteristics not found or inconsistently present in the parent individuals or populations. This rearranging of the genetic material between populations or races is often called hybridization.
Types of Hybrids
Depending on the parents, there are a number of different types of hybrids;
Single cross hybrids - result from the cross between two pure bred lines and produces an F1 generation called an F1 hybrid (F1 is short for Filial 1, meaning "first offspring). The cross between two different homozygous lines produces an F1 hybrid that is heterozygous; having two alleles, one contributed by each parent and typically one is dominant and the other recessive. The F1 generation is also homogeneous, producing offspring that are all similar to each other.
Double cross hybrids - result from the cross between two different F1 hybrids.
Three-way cross hybrids - result from the cross between one parent that is an F1 hybrid and the other is from an inbred line.[
Triple cross hybrids - result from the crossing of two different three-way cross hybrids.
Population hybrids - result from the crossing of plants or animals in a population with another population. These include crosses between organisms such as interspecific hybrids or crosses between difference races.
Animal Hybrids
Wolphin
A Wholphin is a rare hybrid breed that is born from mating a bottlenose dolphin and a false killer whale. The Wholphin's size, shape, and color are intermediate between the parent species (bottlenose dolphin and false killer whale). Although wholphins have been reported to exist in the wild, there are currently two in captivity, both at Sea Life park in Hawaii. The female wholphins have been proven to be fertile, but the male wholphins have been proven to be sterile.
Appearance: The wholphin's size, shape, and color is intermidiate between the parent species. The wholphin is larger than the bottlenose dolphin but is smaller than the false killer whale. Kekaimalu, one of the wholphins at Sea Life Park in Hawaii, has 66 teeth-which is intermediate between the bottlenose dolphin (88 teeth) and the false killer whale (44 teeth). She is also darker than here mother, which is the female bottlenose dolphin.
Diet: Kekaimalu, which means peaceful sea is 23 years old, eats about 80 pounds of frozen herring and capelin a day.
Habitat/Captivity: Wholphins have been reported to exist in the wild , but there are currently two in captivity at Sea Life Park in Hawaii.
Reproduction: The female wholphins have been proven to be fertile but the male wholphins have been proven to be sterile. In order to produce an offspring of a wholphin, you must breed a female wholphin with a male bottlenose dolphin or male false killer whale.
Imprortance: There are only two wholphins that exist in the world. They are both captive at Sea Life Park in Hawaii. By accidentally breeding two similair animals, scientists were able to gain information and research from the wholphins. Scientists were able to gather observations and learn more about hybrids marine mammales, bottlenose dolphins, and false killer whales.
Kekaimalu, The Wolphin
Liger/Tigon
A liger is a common hybrid breed that is born from mating a male lion and a female tiger. A tigon is a less common hybrid breed that is born from mating a female lion and a male tiger. Ligers tend to be bigger than both of the parent species because they carry imprinted genes which make the ligers extrememly large in height, weight, and length. Tigons, on the other hand, do not exceed the size of the parent species because they inherit growth-inhibitory genes from the lioness mother, but are not prone to any kind of dwarfism or miniaturisation. Both ligers and tigons are canivores and eat different amounts of food depending on its size. In the wild, lions and tigers are unable to interact because they both live in very different environments. This is the reason why you are unable to find any ligers or tigons in the wild. The are reports of ligers and tigons in the wild but the only known ligers and tigons are in zoos, animal sanctuaries and special habitats. Female ligers and tigons are fetile while male ligers and tigons are infertile (sterile).
Appearance: Male ligers can grow to be 16 to 19 ft in total length and weigh between 360 to 450 kg, and are often sterile. Female ligers can weigh approximately 700 lb (320 kg) and reach 10 feet (3.05 m) long on average, and are often fertile. Since tigons are small, they can be less than 350 lb. Ligers have a tiger-like striping pattern on a lion-like tawny background. In addition they may inherit rosettes from the lion parent (lion cubs are rosetted and some adults retain faint markings). These markings may be black, dark brown or sandy. The background color may be correspondingly tawny, sandy or golden. In common with tigers, their underparts are pale. The actual pattern and color depends on which subspecies the parents were and on the way in which the genes interact in the offspring. Some male ligers have more mane development than others and some are almost mane-less. Tigons can exhibit characteristics of both parents: they can have both spots from the mother (lions carry genes for spots — lion cubs are spotted) and stripes from the father. Any mane that a male tigon may have will appear shorter and less noticeable than a lion's mane and is closer in type to the ruff of a male tiger.
Diet: Ligers and tigons are both carnivores and eat meat. Since they do not exist in the wild, they are unable to become true predators and are given their food by the zoos or animal sanctuaries. When ligers eat, they can eat at most 50 lbs of raw meat. Since tigons are smaller, they are unable to devour as much as the liger, but can stilll eat a lot.
Habitat/Captivity: Ligers and Tigons have been reported to exist in the wild, but are captive in many zoos and sanctuaries. The reason why ligers and tigons do not live in the wild is beacause the parent species (lion and tiger) are found in different environments and in different parts of the world. The lion and tiger are unable to breed.
Reproduction: The female liger and tigons have been proven to be fertile but the male ligers and tigons have been proven to be sterile.
Ti-Liger, Ti-Tigon, Li-Tigon, Li-Liger
Ti-liger, ti-tigon, li-tigon, and li-liger is a cross breed between a male tiger and a female liger/tigon or a male lion with a female tigon/liger. They are extremely rare and are in mostly private ownership within a behavioral studies program. In the case of ti-ligers, they have unusual striping where it breaks up and display a blotchy appearance. Since ti-liger and ti-tigon are 3/4 tiger, their characteristics inhibit more of those of a tiger than a lion. Since li-liger and li-tigon are 3/4 lion, their characteristics inhibit more of those of a lion than a tiger.
Leopon
A Leopon is the result of breeding a male leopard and a female lion. The head of the animal is similar to that of a lion while the rest of the bodies carries similarities to leopards. The most successful breeding program was at the Koshien Hanshin Park in Nishinomiya City, Japan. Leopons are larger than leopards and likes to climb and enjoys water. A leopon is the result of breeding a male leopard with a female lion. The head of the animal is similar to that of a lion while the rest of the body carries similarities to leopards. They have been bred in zoos in Japan, Germany, and Italy. The leopon has the size and strength of a lion. But, unlike the lion, they have extraordinary climbing abilities like the leopard. The female leopons may be torn between the solitary nature of the leopard and the social nature of a lioness.
Apperance: Based on the data from the Japanese cats, leopons are larger than leopards and combine features from the leopard and lion. They have brown, rather than black, spots and tufted tails. They will climb like leopards and seem to enjoy water, also like the leopard (oddly enough, the Japanese leopons were born of a water-loving lioness and a male leopard that did not seem to like water). Male leopons may have sparse manes about 20cm long. According to American Monsters, the leopon has the size and strength of a lion. But, unlike the lion, they have extraordinary climbing abilities like the leopard. The female leopons may be torn between the solitary nature of the leopard and the social nature of a lioness.
Diet: Leopons are carnivores and eat various types of meat. Depending on their size, they can eat from a small amount to an enourmous amount of food.
Habitat/Captivity: Leopons have been bred at zoos in Japan, Italy, and Germany. There have not been any reports of Leopons in the wild, only in captivity.
Reproduction: Female leopons are fertile and male leopons are sterile. You cannot breed two leopons and get a second generation hybrid because one of the animals is sterile (unable to breed), but you are able to breed a female leopon and a male lion or male leopard.
Zebroid
A zonkey is the result of crossbreeding a donkey with a zebra. The zony is the result of crossbreeding a pony with a zebra. The zorse is the result of crossbreeding a horse with a zebra. All three of these animals are called zebroids - defined as a cross between a zebra and any other equid. Zebroids are preferred over zebra for practical uses such as riding because of its body shape. However it is more inclined to be temperamental and can prove to be difficult to handle. The zorse is has boldly striped legs and often, stripes on the body or neck. Like most other interspecies hybrids, it is infertile.
Appearance: Zebroids physically resemble their non-zebra parent, but are striped like a zebra. The stripes generally do not cover the whole body, and might just cover the legs or spread onto parts of the body or neck. If the non-zebra parent was patterned (such as a roan, Appaloosa, Pinto horse, paint, piebald, or skewbald) this pattern might be passed down to the zebroid, in which case the stripes are usually confined to the nonwhite areas. The other name, golden zebra, relates to the interaction of zebra striping and a horse's bay or chestnut color to give a zebra-like black-on-bay or black-on-chestnut pattern that resembles the quagga. In zebra-ass hybrids, there is usually a dorsal (back) stripe and a ventral (belly) stripe.
Diet: The zebroids are herbivores (animals that eat plants). There diet consist of leaves, grass, and hay. The zebroids depend on vegetation and water to keep a healthy and well-balanced diet.
Habitat/Captivity: Zebroids do not exist in the wild and are only captive in zoos or sanctuaries. They may be used for research and study by private owners or other programs.
Reproduction: Zebroids are infertile.
A Zorse
A Zonkey
A Zony
The Mule and the Henny (Horse and Donkey)
These are probably the most well-known hybrid animals. Both mules and hennies (also known as 'hinnies') are born when a horse and a donkey mate. The difference is that a mule is born from a male donkey (a jack) bred to a female horse (a mare), whereas a henny is from a male horse (a stallion) bred to a female donkey (a jenny). The henny has shorter ears than a mule because it takes after the horse father. Hennies are much more rare than mules: 90% of the breedings are unsuccessful.
Cama
A Cama is a hybrid between a camel and a llama. They are born via artificial insemination due to the huge difference in sizes of the animals which disallow natural breeding. A Cama usually has the short ears and long tails of a camel but the cloven hooves of a llama. Also most noticeably is the absence of the hump. A cama is a hybrid between a camel and a llama, produced via artificial insemination by a breeder in Dubai attempting to create a animal with the size and strength of the camel, but the more cooperative temperament of the llama.The Dromedary camel is six times the weight of a Llama, hence artificial insemination was required to impregnate the Llama female. Though born even smaller than a Llama calf, the Cama had the short ears and long tail of a camel, no hump and llama-like cloven hooves rather than the dromedary-like pads.
The Beefalo (Cow and Bison)
Beefalo are a fertile hybrid offspring of domestic cattle and the American Bison. The breed was created to combine the best characteristics of both animals with a view towards beef production. Creating the Beefalo has proved to be a serious setback to wild American Bison conservation. The current American Bison population has been growing rapidly and is estimated at 350,000, but this is compared to an estimated 60–100 million in the mid-19th century.
Grolar, Pizzly
A grolar/pizzly hybrid is the product of a grizzly bear and a polar bear. Although the two bears are genetically similar, they tend to avoid each other in the wild because they live in very different environments. On April 16, 2006, a hybrid bear was shot dead by Jim Martell,a hunter from the United States, in Canada. It was the first time a hybrid was found in the wild where previous records of grolars or pizzlies have only been found in zoos. A Grizzly polar bear hybrid is a hybrid that has occurred both in captivity and in the wild. In 2006, the occurrence of this hybrid in nature was confirmed by testing the DNA of a strange-looking bear that had been shot in the Canadian arctic. Previously, the hybrid had been produced in zoos and was considered a "cryptid" (a hypothesized animal for which there is no scientific proof of existence in the wild). Polar bear hybrids with Grizzly bears have been reported and shot, but DNA techniques were not available to verify the bears' ancestry.
Wolf Dog
Dogs and wolves tend to crossbreed rather freely. The wolf is a shy animal depending on nuances in body language, facial expression and on hunting skills to survive. Their jaws are much stronger than those of a dog and are often used to exert dominance. For a dog wolf hybrid, it is not known when it will display a wolf behavior or dog behavior or something in between. Obedience training is a must in order to tame the animal.
Iron Age Pig
Domestic Tamworth pigs are crossbred with wild boar to create ‘Iron Age Pigs’. The hybrids are tamer than wild boar but less tractable than domestic swine and generally become specialist pork sausages. Most of them are bred for the specialist meat trade. The Iron age pig is a hybrid between domestic Tamworth pigs and wild boar. They were originally created in order to reconstruct the European prehistoric pig that existed in ancient Europe thousands of years ago. The hybrids are tamer than wild boar but less tractable than domestic swine and generally become specialist pork sausages. Most of them are bred for the specialist meat trade.
Hybrid Pheasant
The Golden Pheasant has commonly been crossed with the similar Lady Amherst’s Pheasant. The result is a hybrid with distinguished colors from its parents. An animal that is certainly not picky when it comes to mating, is the common pheasant. Due to captive breeding and hybridization between subspecies and with the Green Pheasant, there are many color forms of the male Common Pheasant, ranging in color from nearly white to almost black. Hybrid pheasants are not the only type of gamebird hybrids: there are also goose, duck and turkey hybrids, amongst others.
Plant Hybrid
- Limequat, lime and kumquat hybrid.
-
It is a small tree that grows into a contained bushy form. The leaves are characteristically citrus-like. The limequat produces an abundance of fruit even at a young age. The fruit is small, oval, greenish yellow and contains seeds or pips. It has a sweet tasting skin and a bitter sweet pulp that tastes similar to limes. The fruit can be eaten whole or the juice and rind can be used to flavour drinks and dishes. It has considerable amounts of vitamin C and is strongly acidic. Originating in China, this plant is now grown in Japan, Isreal, Spain, Malaysia, South Africa, Armenia, the United Kingdoms and the United States in California and Florida. The fruit can be found, in small quantities, during the fall and winter months in the United States. There are three different varieties of this fruit, Lakeland, Eustis, and Tavares, with Eustis being the most common.
-
-
The loganberry is derived from a cross between the European red raspberry and the American blackberry. It was accidentally created in 1880 or 1881 in Santa Cruz, California, by the American lawyer and horticulturist James Harvey Logan(1841-1928). In the 1880s, berry growers began to cross varieties to obtain better commercial varieties. Logan was unsatisfied with the existing varieties of blackberries and tried to cross two varieties of blackberries to produce a superior cultivar. While attempting to cross two varieties of blackberries, Logan accidentally planted them next to an old variety of red raspberry, all of which flowered and fruited together. The varieties involved in the Loganberry hybrid were probably 'Texas Early' or 'Aughinburgh' blackberry and 'Red Antwerp' red raspberry which were two of the three Rubus varieties planted in Logan's yard that year. Logan gathered and planted the seed. The 50 seedlings produced plants similar to the blackberry parent Aughinbaugh, but were larger and more vigorous. The loganberry fruits earlier than its blackberry parent. As it has fruit in different stages, from blossom to mature fruit, it produces fruit for approximately 2 months. This is generally between July and September depending on which zone you are in. Plants continue to fruit for around 15 years. They can self-propagate. Each bush can produce 7 kg to 8 kg per bush, where each bush has about ten canes. The berries are generally harvested when they are a deep purple color, rather than the red shown in the illustration above.
The fruits are the size of an adult fist and have a tangerine taste, but are very juicy, to the point of not providing much flesh but producing excellent and plentiful juice. Tangelos generally have loose skin and are easier to peel than oranges. They are easily distinguished from oranges by a characteristic nipple at the top of the fruit.
Here are some sites to learn more about hybrid breeds:
Here are some related wiki pages:
Bibliography :
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.