Potential hybrids in nature

[ryanjury]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/environment/n ... d=10689619

Something interesting to discuss

[livingart]

yes saw that yesterday

will be a popcorn topic for the purists

[ryanjury]

lol I am a purist But if nature has decided to mix populations possibly because of a species extinction or whatever reason then so be it, I wonder if they will rename the new hybrids a new species?

A very interesting thing to talk about that's for sure..

[livingart]

Malawi dolphins

or is that maulawi dolphins

[Insect Direct]

Thats cool, have to admire mother nature. Be interesting to see what results long term.

[livingart]

from wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hector's_dolphin

Hector's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori) is the best-known of the four dolphins in the genus Cephalorhynchus and is found only in New Zealand. At about 1.4 m in length, it is one of the smallest cetaceans.

Hector’s dolphin was named after Sir James Hector (1834–1907). He was the curator of the Colonial Museum in Wellington (now the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa). He examined the first specimen found of the dolphin. The species was scientifically described by Belgian zoologist Pierre-Joseph van Beneden in 1881.

Maui's dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui) is a subspecies of Hector's dolphin found off the northwest coast of New Zealand's North Island[2]. It is the most endangered subspecies of marine mammal (other cetaceans with a similarly perilous conservation status inhabit rivers and estuaries only). There are approximately 110 Maui's dolphins remaining.

[smidey]

to me if something is hybridised in the wild, that is natural selection. in a tank in our possession in wrong as there is very little natural selection, they breed with each other as there is no one else.

[Navarre]

wonder what they taste like?

[smidey]

wonder what they taste like?

go to japan & try it

[Trilobite]

That cool! Its a good idea to increase genetic diversity in a species wher inbreeding is a risk. But sometimes natural hybridization has its flaws like the native grey duck which has hybridized with introduced mallards. Now most, if not all of them are hybrids and a pure grey duck is virtually extinct

[livingart]

there are still a few visually pure around

but who truly knows without testing

[repto]

don`t worry there are heaps of pure ones in austrailia,they have different name but they are grey ducks if ever I hve seen one?I think they call them black ducks over there?