RE: En: species, subspecies, strains, populations, races etc.

[Scot Gillespie <Scot.Gillespie@epsedin.co.uk>]

Scott Olson Wrote:

>I am 
>familiar with two examples (there are probably many 
>more) of separate and distinct species that not only
>interbreed freely, but the resulting 
>offspring are fertile.

I remember in the seventies there was a lot of crossing of rainbow, brown,
and American brook char/trout (I can't remember the Latin names), by egg and
sperm stripping to produce sterile hybrids for sport fish stocking in public
water reservoirs in the UK. These went under the names of Cheetah and Tiger
trout, if my memory serves me right. But, I think it was discovered that a
small proportion of these actually were sexually viable. But I am prepared
to be shot down on this one.
 
But we don't have to go that far away from the aquarium, unless you have a
very big well oxygenated one, to find viable hybrids. Betta splendens, is
most likely a hybrid who's hybridisation probably predates its scientific
description. And, all those fancy mollies are not the result of linear
species development. As I remember it the higher up the evolutionary tree
you go, the less viable hybridisation becomes, but, I think domestic sheep
are a hybrid.


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