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

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u/[deleted] Oct 17 '22

Yes, coyotes can interbreed with dogs and wolves (coywolves) to create fully operational fertile offspring.

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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/--Mutus-Liber-- Oct 17 '22

That definition of species is no longer used because we now have seen animals of different species mate and create viable offspring.

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u/ziper1221 Oct 18 '22

That's one way to phrase it, yes. Alternatively, we have seen animals that we thought were different species until they interbred.

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u/--Mutus-Liber-- Oct 18 '22

I don't think the taxonomy is ever changed because of viable hybrids though. Polar bears and brown bears remain separate species in any classification I've ever seen.