Genome complexity: anti-hybridization gene found (Introduction)

by David Turell , Friday, December 18, 2015, 02:16 (3263 days ago) @ David Turell

Technically only species can mate. However many so-called species do mate. However when the individuals are truly far apart as species there is a gene that stops hybridization:-http://phys.org/news/2015-12-gene-species.html-"A University of Utah-led study identified a long-sought "hybrid inviability gene" responsible for dead or infertile offspring when two species of fruit flies mate with each other.-***-"A big surprise is that the gene that makes fruit fly hybrids inviable - named gfzf - is a "cell cycle-regulation gene" or "cell cycle-checkpoint gene" normally involved in stopping cell division and replication if defects are detected. But when mutated and disabled in the new study, the gene allowed the survival of male hybrids of the two fruit fly species.-"The gfzf gene evolves quickly, which is what biologists expect from hybrid inviability genes. But is also was a surprise because cell cycle-checkpoint genes usually evolve slowly because they are "conserved" genes essential in most organisms."-Comment: This is a key finding in explaining how 'true' species stay separate. Organisms that are considered entirely separate, but can cross-breed (horses and donkeys) really aren't. This is the fallacy of identifying only by phenotype. Dogs and wolves easily mate. They are really the same species.