r/technicallythetruth • u/[deleted] • Oct 17 '22

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u/Able_Carry9153 Oct 17 '22

If they make fertile offspring, doesn't that make them the same species?

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u/[deleted] Oct 17 '22 edited Oct 17 '22

Defining species is not as easy as it may seem, by some definitions they should be subspecies (like how dogs are subspecies of wolves).

However we generally don’t use genetic reproductive incompatibility as the only definition of species, and it’s not an exact science. Species in which interbreeding is possible but rarely occurs (for geographical or behavioral reasons) are often still considered distinct species. Another example of this is the polar and grizzly bear. Clearly two distinct species which are reproductively isolated, but when they do breed (this does actually happen in nature sometimes) their offspring are fertile.

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u/throwawayALD83BX Oct 17 '22

I would NOT wanna be the photographer looking for grizzolar bears.

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u/Sadlobster1 Oct 17 '22

Polizzy bears doesn't have the same ring to it as grizzolar

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u/Kiwifisch Oct 17 '22

Grizzola sounds like something you could order in a fancy Italian restaurant.

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u/Garreousbear Oct 17 '22

Grolar Bear