In the frog genus, when certain species attempts to mate with other species, embryo development is halted at various stages including zygotic segmentation, blastula formation, gastrulation, or in the final phases of embryo development. The stage where the developing frog arrests depends on the species involved in the cross. This is an example of
A) hybrid breakdown.
B) hybrid sterility.
C) hybrid inviability.
D) sexual isolation.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The phenomenon where embryo development is halted at various stages when certain species attempts to mate with other species is known as hybrid inviability. This is different from hybrid breakdown, which refers to the reduction in fitness of hybrid offspring over successive generations, and hybrid sterility, which refers to the inability of hybrid offspring to produce viable gametes. Sexual isolation refers to the inability of different species to interbreed due to physical, behavioral, or ecological barriers.

In the Frog Genus, When Certain Species Attempts to Mate