"Jurassic Species Reunited: The Sturddlefish Hybrid Bridges Ancient Divide"
In a surprising fertilization event, American paddlefish and Russian sturgeon successfully bred to create a hybrid group of animals called "sturddlefish." These two species, which diverged during the Jurassic period, were thought to be too distantly related to hybridize. The accidental hybridization occurred during a scientific experiment to introduce asexual reproduction into the endangered paddlefish and sturgeon populations. Despite their evolutionary distance, the hybrid sturddlefish exhibited different ratios of features from the two species and showed survival rates beyond 30 days. However, the offspring were sterile. This unexpected result highlights the potential for hybridization between distantly related species and the resilience of life.