All members of the golden hamster species known today are descendants of a single litter collected in Syria in 1939. Its diploid chromosome number is 44. Two other species of hamster, each with a diploid number of 22, overlap in Syria. The golden hamster is thought to be a new species from the mating of a male and female of the two other hamster species. What mechanism might explain this recent event of speciation?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Polyploidy is a mechanism where an organism has more than two complete sets of chromosomes. In this case, the golden hamster could have originated from a hybridization event between two species with a diploid number of 22, resulting in a polyploid organism with a diploid number of 44.

All Members of the Golden Hamster Species Known Today Are