Question

Explain interspecific hybridization with example.

Answer 1

Hint: It is a type of cross, to produce a progeny, in order to get desirable features from both parents. Hybridization is the process of crossbreeding between genetically dissimilar parents to produce a hybrid of desirable character.

Complete answer :
Hybridization is the most cost effective technique to create genetic variability. Depending upon whether the parents are close to each other, two types of crosses have been recognized, intraspecific and interspecific. The cross between two species of the same genus is called interspecific hybridization. In this type of crossing, male and female animals of two different related species are mated. In some cases, the progeny produced will have desirable features of both parents, and may be of considerable economic value. Example: mule, zonkey, zorse and zonkey. In animals, hybridization causes sterility or low fertility, but this case is less in plants. Plants hybridize much more easily and successfully than animals. Pollen from flowers were collected and may land on flowers of other species. Example: Brassica napus (2n=38), from a cross between B.oleracea (2n=18) and B.campestris (2n=20).

Additional information:
The offspring from this cross could develop into adults but it does not develop functional gametes. Sterile organisms are produced by the different chromosomes of two species to prevent the gene flow between them, for example mules are sterile (donkeys have 62 chromosomes and horses have 64 chromosomes).
The main advantage of this type of breeding is that the new individual or offspring produced is superior to the existing ones.

Note: Donkey/horse crosses result in mule
Zebra/donkey crosses result in zonkey.
Zebra/horse crosses result in zorse.
Zebra/donkey crosses result in zonkey.