The formation of hybrids—organisms obtained after crossing genetically different forms—is more widespread in nature previously thought. Usually, only closely related species can hybridize. For example, hybrids occur in some populations of Daphnia – crustaceans from plankton. They significantly complicate the definition of the boundaries between different species. However, some cases are known when hybridisation occurred between very distant relatives: for example, between Homo sapiens and Neanderthals, whose common ancestor lived about 800,000 years ago.
Click here for original story, Fritillary butterflies preserve genetic diversity through interbreeding
Source: Phys.org