Moving Hybrid Zones; When Two Species Meet, Mate, and Compete

Abstract

When parents of two different species have babies together, those babies are called hybrids. In nature, hybrids are often born in the region where the ranges of their parent species meet. This region is called a hybrid zone. We know that species change their ranges all the time, and we also know that some species compete with each other for food or living space. This means that, if one of the two parent species manages to expand its range, the other species may be forced to retreat. If that were to happen, the hybrid zone between the two species’ ranges should move, right? Even though researchers used to think that hybrid zone movement was rare, recent studies suggest otherwise. In this article, we will tell you what hybrid zones are, how they form, why their position may shift over time, and what we can learn from this movement.