Join our zoo community

Trend Towards Splitting Species

Discussion in 'Wildlife & Nature Conservation' started by TheOnlineZoo, 27 Jul 2013.

Tags:
Page 2 of 2
  1. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    16 May 2010
    Posts:
    14,824
    Location:
    Wilds of Northumberland
    Of course, interfertility is not the be-all and end-all of determining whether two taxa are conspecific; although some "lumpers" do include all small cats within the one genus of Felis, the existence of bengal cats - derived from Prionailurus bengalensis x Felis sylvestris catus breedings - and savannah cats - derived from Leptailurus serval x Felis sylvestris catus breedings - has never to my knowledge been used to suggest that P.bengalensis, L.serval and F.sylvestris should *all* be included within F.sylvestris :p
     
    TeaLovingDave, 28 Jul 2013
    #21
  2. FBBird

    FBBird Well-Known Member 10+ year member

    Joined:
    15 Oct 2010
    Posts:
    3,622
    Location:
    Dorset, UK
    Trend towards splitting...

    Hybrid infertility is a bit of a myth if the parent species are from the same genus. This holds true for deer, pheasants, waterfowl, doves, parrots & even big cats to some extent. I think I'm right in saying female tigons & ligers are fertile, even if the males aren't. This may also be the case with equine hybrids, cettainly some mule mares have had foals. Male mules are usually gelded, so don't get a fair trial. Does anyone know if zebroids are fertile?
    of course, I'm not suggesting that fertile hybrids are likely to be anything more than a damn nuisance...
     
    FBBird, 28 Jul 2013
    #22
  3. Tim May

    Tim May Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

    Joined:
    16 Nov 2008
    Posts:
    3,168
    Location:
    London, England
    Charles Darwin was fascinated by a "curious triple hybrid" that he saw at London Zoo, allegedly born to a bay mare after mating with an ass x zebra hybrid.

    This animal is also mentioned in Abraham Bartlett’s posthumous publication “Life Among the Wild Beasts in the Zoo” (1900); Bartlett records that this "remarkable double mule" - having in its composition zebra, horse and ass - was born in the Gardens of the Zoological Society.

    Apart from this alleged triple hybrid I don’t recall reading of any other fertile zebroids.
     
    Tim May, 28 Jul 2013
    #23
Page 2 of 2