Why are hybrid animals different depending on which parent is from which species ?
In: Biology
The data you get from your mother is not the same sort of data you get from your father.
It’s half your DNA…. but not EXACTLY half. The Y chromosome only comes from fathers. Any information on a donkey’s Y chromosome will only be passed down when the father is a donkey. Likewise, sperm have no mitochondria* (it’s the powerhouse of the cell), so you get your mitochondria DNA from only your mother. If there is data in either of these which affect the offspring (there is) then it matters which data they’re getting. Hinnys and mules are simply genetically different.
(*Oh, it’s weirder than that. Only the tail have it, and it’s usually discarded, but there are recorded exceptions. …EVERY damn thing in biology is just riddled with exceptions to the rule. ugh.)
Latest Answers