The Tree of Life gets complicated

 

In these lectures, we discussed the different variations of the phylogenetic theme. The variation that was most intriguing to me was hybrid speciation. Hybrid speciation occurs when two different species in a phylogenetic tree mate and produce an offspring that is an entirely different species. This species didn't evolve along the lineage but was created through reproduction. 


                                                

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An example of hybrid speciation that I found rather interesting was that of the grolar bear/pizzy. This species is the offspring of a grizzly bear mating with a polar bear. I thought this particular offspring was interesting because scientists didn't think this crossbreed would ever happen because of the intense mating rituals and, unlike other hybrid species I have heard of, it is thought that the grolar bear/pizzy could more than likely mate back with either of the parent species. 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2006/05/grizzly-polar-bear-hybrid-animals/#close 

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