January 23, 2010

Mixed Ducks

Wild ducks hang out with domestic ducks, and often you can see various color combinations in their offspring. I've noticed this with geese too.

An article on Mallard ducks in Wikipedia shows that yes, some folks are concerned about this interbreeding and whether it may cause some species to disappear.
"Complete hybridization of various species of wild ducks gene pools could result in the extinction of many indigenous waterfowl. The wild Mallard itself is the ancestor of most domestic ducks and its naturally evolved wild gene pool gets genetically polluted in turn by the domesticated and feral populations."

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