MadSci Network: Zoology
Query:

Re: Is it possible to crossbreed a mole and a badger?

Date: Wed Jul 21 18:00:32 2010
Posted By: John J Peloquin, Fellow
Area of science: Zoology
ID: 1279482227.Zo
Message:

If you check the "Tree of Life" http://tolweb.org/Eutheria/15997 you can see how distantly related are moles (insectivora) and badgers (carnivora). Generally animals cannot hybridize if they are from different genera. Not only are badgers and moles not from the same genus, but they are in different orders of mammals. They are about as closely related to each other as we humans are related to bats.

This means that these animals differ in many many ways, from chromosome number to almost anything else you can imagine.

There's no way they could hybridize by mating.

Now, if one were to mix cells from their early embryos, I have no idea what would happen, but I doubt it would be viable, and they'd still not be "hybrids".


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