Mules are produced by the mating of a female horse and a male donkey. Mules are sterile and cannot produce offspring. Do you think a horse, and a donkey should be considered the same species? Why or why not?
2006-11-04 10:59:37 · 11 answers · asked by Nerds Rule! 6 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
NO because if the two breed you get what is known as a Ginny it is a animal born of the two speicies but can not produce any offspring because it is sterile.
2006-11-04 11:02:40 · answer #1 · answered by rahlyd swamp muffin 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, a horse and a donkey cannot be considered the same species. They belong to the same family, Equidae, but they are different animals, physically and genetically - they look different and have different numbers of chromosomes. Horses are classified as Equus caballus and donkeys as Equus asinus. However, they are able to interbreed and produce mules (offspring of a male donkey and female horse) and hinnies (offspring of a male horse and female donkey). Like most hybrids, mules and hinnies are almost always sterile, because the different numbers of chromosomes possessed by the parent species mean that the hybrid cannot produce functional sex cells. However, occasionally a female will be fertile and can be bred back to a male horse or donkey. There is no record of fertile male mules or hinnies. Incidentally, the definition of a species as animals which can interbreed and produce fertile young is no longer widely accepted - it is recognized as being too simplistic. For example, all members of the genus Canis can interbreed and produce fertile offspring - this includes wolves, coyotes, jackals, dingoes and domestic dogs. Physically, behaviourally and genetically, these are different species - it would be ridiculous to suggest that a grey wolf and a black-backed jackal are the same animal. They are just closely related, and shared a common ancestor with each other so recently that they still share enough genetic material to be able to interbreed and produce fertile hybrids.
2016-05-21 23:51:20 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They have a different number of chromosomes, which is alright when they produce a mule. It is viable, but sterile. The problem is when the mule goes to breed he/she has a uneven number of chromosomes, a real problem at meiosis. The horse and donkey are considered different species because of the breeding barrier, one generation of mules is not enough to overturn the biological species concept.
2006-11-04 12:49:12 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. There is a definition of "species" which refers to mating, but it says that members of the same species can mate and produce FERTILE offspring. Mules are always sterile.
2006-11-04 11:03:24 · answer #4 · answered by Amy F 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They differ sufficiently in genetic makeup that they do not produce fertile offspring. They probably are of the same class and phylum, but they are not the same species.
2006-11-04 11:03:00 · answer #5 · answered by amy02 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no. they are definately not the same species. for one, they look different. different ears, tails, and the structure of their body. and two, if they were the same species, then they wouldn't produce sterile offspring.
2006-11-04 18:21:18 · answer #6 · answered by fuzzy_keno 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Uh, no- - - just looking at a horse & a donkey they look and act different. I say keep the status quo.
Peace...
2006-11-04 11:02:10 · answer #7 · answered by JVHawai'i 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no, there are many physical and internal differences, if they were the same they wouldn't be called a horse and a donkey.
2006-11-04 16:50:51 · answer #8 · answered by Melanie 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, becuase they have some diffferences, hence slightly different appearances. They are a different species.
2006-11-04 14:49:42 · answer #9 · answered by lemon drops 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, because they are. I don't know why but that is what the research says..
2006-11-04 11:08:17 · answer #10 · answered by carasmom 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋