Interspecies Sex: Evolution's Hidden Secret?

[133724]

The act of mating with a species other than your own may not be as ill advised or peculiar as it seems.

Recent research indicates that hybridization is not only widespread in nature but it might also spawn many more new species than previously thought.

A growing number of studies has been presented as evidence that two animal species can combine to produce a third, sexually viable species in a process known as hybrid speciation. Newly identified examples include both insects and fish.

This evolutionary process, while known to be common in plants, has long been considered extremely rare among animals.

Animals are generally thought to evolve the opposite way, when a single species gradually splits into two over many generations.

But some scientists now believe that the behavior that has been called animals' sexual blunders could be an important force in their evolution.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/03/070314-hybrids.html

There has to be a pun in here somewhere it's to late for me to think of it....

[scarletwoman]

1. "Cats and dogs living together! Mass hysteria!"

Not a pun, but it's late for me too...

:P
sw

[133724]

2. Thinking about Ann Coulter.....

& what speciesxcvma[e0irn (connection lost)

[rwenos]

16. Scorpion Sex? Or with a Cobra?

It could explain a LOT!

It might yield, uh, a COLTORPION.
Or a COLTOBRA.

[Swamp Rat]

5. LOL!

:D

[scarletwoman]

9. Ack! Oh man -- what a pic! (so to speak...)

S'what I get for staying up late drinking... :P

sw

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

3. Were you perhaps thinking of Barbara and that chimpanzee that Poppy bought her

as a gift to keep her company about 60 years ago?

And now you know the rest of the story.

[loudsue]

7. Mules, however, aren't "sexually viable". They can't mate w/ each other.

:kick:

[majorjohn]

4. Mules are a cross between a horse and donkey n/t

[scarletwoman]

6. Yes, but mules can't reproduce. (nt)

[Ecumenist]

12. Though it's EXTREMELY rare....

some mules ARE fertile. I can't say if there've ever been any progeny of a mating between two mules, I do know of at least two mules who produced "foals" with horses.

[JCMach1]

8. I once saw a horse flirting horribly with a poor donkey....

said donkey could not get to the horse=

frustrated male donkey.

[tuvor]

10. My neighbour's pug boinks his stuffed-animal toys.

I think a lot of animals are just looking for any old opportunity.

[TheBaldyMan]

11. Scooter Libby thinks bears having sex with humans is feasible.

[NMMNG]

13. Immoral! Abomination! We must have a law!

:sarcasm:

[kenny blankenship]

14. I have to tell you it's a sin in the eyes of the Church

(Sealab 2021 fans out there?)
I don't know exactly where they said that, about the animals, but call it a hunch! Probably 10 or 12 times in Leviticus alone I'm guessing.

[rwenos]

15. Republicans and Sheep

C'mon, isn't it obvious?

Hey, can you look at Karl Rove, REALLY, and not wonder if there were sheep in his ancestry? Has anyone seen his progeny?

[Solly Mack]

17. Interesting article. Thanks for posting

Got no jokes - actually do find the article interesting.

Ligers
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/08/0804_050804_ligers.html