Ligers and Tigons and Grolars, Oh My! Hybridization, and How It Affects Biodiversity

Abstract

Have you ever heard of ligers and tigons-mixes between lions and tigers? Wolfdogs, a mix between wolves and dogs? Or maybe a grolar, a grizzly and polar bear mix? When organisms from two diierent species mix, or breed together, it is known as hybridization. The oospring that are produced from these mixes are known as hybrids. Hybrids occur in the natural world and are a powerful evolutionary force. They are also important in our daily lives-you probably eat hybrid plants every day. In this article, we dive into the exciting world of hybridization, describing how it occurs and what can happen when hybrids have babies.