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12 grade biology others

A donkey and a horse are able to mate and produce an offspring known as a mule. The resultant mule possesses 63 chromosomes in its cells due to the donkey parent having 62 chromosomes and the horse parent having 64. The mule is unable to mate with other mules to produce its own offspring. Which of the following reproductive isolating mechanisms is operating in this situation?

  • a. Hybrid Inviability
  • b. Hybrid Mortality
  • c. Behavioral Isolation
  • d. Hybrid Sterility
  • e. Temporal Isolation

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10 Months agoGrade
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1 Answer

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ApprovedApproved Tutor Answer10 Months ago

In the case of a mule, which is the offspring of a donkey and a horse, the reproductive isolating mechanism at play is Hybrid Sterility. This means that while the mule is a viable hybrid, it is unable to reproduce due to its odd number of chromosomes (63), which prevents it from forming viable gametes. Therefore, the correct answer is:

  • d. Hybrid Sterility