Dolphin + Whale= Wholphin

[archman]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/science/04/15/wholphin.birth.ap/index.html

This is something you don't see every day...

 

[Vie]

Never realised that a False Killer Whale and a dolphin could mate AND produce healthy offsprings. Learn something new everyday...

 

[H2Andy]

that is awesome

but i thought the offspring of two different species were hybrids?

so... a false killer whale (whatever that is) and a dolphin are the same species????

 

[Vie]

that is awesome

but i thought the offspring of two different species were hybrids?

so... a false killer whale (whatever that is) and a dolphin are the same species????

According to the article, “although false killer whales and Atlantic bottlenose dolphins are different species, they are classified within the same family by scientists.”

 

[H2Andy]

wow... so obviosly they don't produce hybrid offspring...

horses and donkeys sure do (mules)

well... apparently whale hybrids can be fertile:

This is the case of the mule which is the hybrid of the donkey and the horse, or the hybrid of the lion and the tiger. In the case of baleen whales, only the fin whale and the blue whale cross the species barrier and can give birth to hybrids. Contrary to the mule or the lion/tiger hybrid, one or the other of the parent species can be the mother or the father of these hybrids. Another difference; these hybrids may be fertile.

http://www.whales-online.net/eng/FSC.html?sct=4&pag=4-3-2.html

 

[archman]

Fertile hybrids are produced by a variety of close species crosses. Coyotes, wolves, and dogs all interbreed fairly well. Some of the Caribbean angelfish do it pretty successfully too. There were even some sea turtle hybrids I read about somewhere a while back... that was kookie. There'd probably be a lot more successful hybrids out in the literature, but most animals are fickle enough to not attempt breeding with things unrelated to them. Bottlenosed dolphins however are pretty liberal with their sexual behaviour. The males in particular are pretty frisky with anything and everything even remotely resembling another dolphin. I've been "courted" myself by a juvenile bottlenose, and know a lot of folks with similar experiences. Not something you like talking about. :11:

As an aside, there was a fertile mule on at least one occasion. I remember the hooplah about in back around 1990... the "non-sterile mule". Rare but not impossible.

 

[H2Andy]

dude, learn something new every day

 

[Mo2vation]

Hmmm....

CBulla + H2Andy = Candy? (way too much thongage there...)

Uncle Pug + Marvel = Mug?

GUE + PADI = Padigooey?

NWGratefulDiver + Scubadoobeedoo = way too many friggen syllables for an offspring


---
Ken

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

I've been "courted" myself by a juvenile bottlenose, and know a lot of folks with similar experiences. Not something you like talking about. :11:

Note to self: avoid looking like a female dolphin at all costs.

 

[H2Andy]

H2Andy + CBulla = Candy? (way too much thongage there...)

the horror! the horror!