Download The Mating Game Name Period Date Directions: Answer the

Name
Period
Date
Directions: Answer the questions below based on the article “The Mating Game” found in the
January 23, 2003 edition of Science World. Use complete sentences.
QUESTION:
1. What term refers to mixed
animal breeds?
2. Why do animals rarely
interbreed in the wild?
3. The Sparred owl is the hybrid
of which two owl species?
4. Sometimes, species are
deliberately interbred by
scientists. According to this
article, why did Russian
scientists crossbreed dogs
with jackals?
5. What can happen if genes are
mixed through interbreeding?
6. In order to produce fertile
offspring, chromosomes need
to pair evenly during meiosis
(the creation of sex cells). How
come a hardy mule cannot do
this?
7. “The off-and-on gene
sequence isn’t the same in all
species, because different
species possess different
genes – which means they
don’t cooperate properly.”
What do you think is meant
ANSWER:
by this statement?
8. According to the article, what
is a species?
9. In many cases, interbreeding
causes more harm than good,
but not so for the Florida
panther. Explain how
interbreeding benefited the
Florida panther.
10. Given the hybrids listed below, state the two species that were bred together to make the
hybrid.
BEEFALO
=
+
COYWOLF
=
+
WHOLPHIN
=
+
LIGER
=
+
CAMA
=
+
ZORSE
=
+
MULE
=
+