and then this from the La Times
Arctic ice melt may promote cross-breeding
Mating between different species could lead to the extinction of many Arctic animals, because hybrid offspring are often less hardy, scientists say.
http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-arctic-animals-20101216,0,439283.story
As the world heats up and polar ice melts, different types of bears, whales and seals could meet and mate — but these unions may be far from happy, researchers said Wednesday.
In fact, interspecies sex brought on by the melting Arctic ice could lead to the extinction of many endangered Arctic animals, the scientists said in an article published in the journal Nature.
At least 22 species are at risk of hybridizing in 34 different combinations, according to a team led by Brendan Kelly, an Alaska-based evolutionary biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The pairings include polar bears and grizzlies, narwhals and beluga whales, and various assortments of seals. Some of those species are listed as endangered or threatened.
Because hybrid offspring — or their offspring, in turn — are often infertile, maladapted or sickly, much of the genetic biodiversity of the Arctic could be lost, the scientists warned.
Weird that a California paper would be worried about cross-breeding and sexual deviancy.
Heterosis!