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Tag: Hybrid

In biology and specifically, genetics, the term hybrid has several meanings, all referring to the offspring of sexual reproduction. From a taxonomic perspective, hybrid refers to: According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word is derived from Latin hybrida, meaning the “offspring of an tame sow and a wild boar”, “child of a freeman and slave”, etc. The term entered into popular use in English in the 19th century, though examples of its use have been found from the early 17th century. Depending on the parents, there are a number of different types of hybrids; Interspecific hybrids are bred by mating two species, normally from within the same genus. The offspring display traits and characteristics of both parents. The offspring of an interspecific cross are very often sterile; thus, hybrid sterility prevents the movement of genes from one species to the other, keeping both species distinct. Sterility is often attributed to the different number of chromosomes the two species have,…