Hybrid species have only been a myth, like the majestic centaur or some terrifying creatures with tails or wings. But with the ongoing climate change, scientists discovered that numerous hybrid species had been made possible.
A 2010 study published in the journal Nature listed 34 potential hybrid species that could become prevalent in the Arctic region as sea ice rapidly melts, and species that were once isolated are forced to move to new areas to hunt. It resulted in different animals coming across each other and mating, forming hybrid species that could eliminate the original species in the gene pool.
Pizzly or Grolar Bears
Pizzly bears, sometimes called grolar bears, are a combination of polar and grizzly bears. According to Live Science, the growing contact between the two species resulted in more mating and increased sightings of their hybrid offspring. They have features that give them an edge in the warming Arctic region, and scientists believe they are here to stay.
Wild sightings of pizzly bears started in 2006 when a hunter shot one in the Northwest Territories of the Canadian Arctic. Since then, sightings of hybrid species of polar and grizzly bears have been increasing. A 2017 study revealed eight sightings of pizzly bears coming from a female polar bear who mated with two grizzly bears.
The rise of pizzly bears coincides with the decline of polar bears, and scientists predict the latter's population will further decline by over 30% in the next 30 years.
Narlugas
In 1990, a scientist collecting specimens of narwhals on a remote island in Disko Bay, Greenland, noticed an unusual skull. The New York Times reported that its teeth were bizarre as the top was pointed, but the bottom spiraled out. A hunter told the scientist that he killed two similar strange animals in the late 1980s, which both had beluga-like flippers, narwhal-like tails, and solid gray skin.
The specimen was donated to the Natural history Museum of Denmark for analysis. Three decades later, a genomic analysis showed that the DNA from the specimen's skull is the first-generation son of a narwhal mother and a beluga father. Scientists noted that the hybrid species looked like 50% beluga and 50% narwhal, which probably was sterile like many hybrids in nature.
Coywolves
Eastern Canadian and US residents are most likely familiar with the smart, adaptable canine in their forests, parks, and cities. But they might not be pure coyotes at all. Rather, they could be the hybrid species known as coywolves.
According to Smithsonian Magazine, coywolves emerged over the last century and successfully spread over eastern North America. Scientists said that deforestation, hunting, and poisoning depleted the population numbers of eastern wolves, which led them to interbreed with western coyotes.
The hybrid species is about 55 pounds heavier than pure coyotes, with a larger jaw, longer legs, smaller ears, and a bushier tail. Today, coywolves are o quarter wolf and a tenth dog, which likely helps them succeed as their numbers have reached millions.
Other Hybrid Species
Aside from the pizzly bears, narlugas, and coywolves, other hybrid species that were discovered in the past years include the following, according to MailOnline:
- Harbor-Dall porpoise- a hybrid of harbor porpoise and Dall's porpoise
- Harp seal and hooded seal
- Bowhead-right whale- a mix of bowhead whales and right whales
- North American flying squirrel- the offspring of northern flying squirrels and southern flying squirrels
RELATED ARTICLE : Borneo's Rare 'Mystery Monkey' Discovered as Hybrid of Two Species, But Experts Are Not Happy
Check out more news and information on Hybrid Species in Science Times.
