Biology / Unit 8 Bio 1703 short lesson, about 20 seconds
Alloploidy
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The idea
Alloploidy, or allopolyploidy, occurs when gametes from two species combine and the hybrid's chromosome number then doubles into a fertile, stable lineage.
In practice
Cultivated wheat is an alloploid, combining chromosome sets from more than one wild ancestral species across two reproductive events.
Where people slip
Alloploidy needs two reproductive steps to reach a stable, fertile lineage — a first-generation hybrid alone is typically sterile.
Your place on the trail
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