| Flagger | Content Author | Content | Reason | Flag Created | Resolved by | Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| kiwikiu | treichard | Wood and Mandarin Ducks × Mallards, Teal, Pintails and Allies (Genushybrid Aix × Anas) |
Need to add Wood Duck x American Wigeon |
Jan. 19, 2021 20:39:04 +0000 | maxkirsch |
Comments
@birdwhisperer this is a probable candidate: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/68315380
Not sure what you're implying by stating "some deny hybridization at all" given that there are a plethora of known wood duck hybrids with other ducks.
@masonmaron Some geneticists say that the Wood Duck is genetically unique in Anatidae and theoretically, they shouldn't be able to produce a viable zygote with another species, even with the Mandarin which has been suggested for a genus split for being even more genetically different from other ducks.
But we've seen countless hybrids between Wood Ducks and other species, such as Mallard, Northern Pintail, and even Hooded Merganser, so that claim not only lacks backing, it's also completely unreasonable and easily countered.
I'm not saying they don't exist, I'm more or less saying that we need to be precautious when throwing the hybrid card on every odd Wood Duck. To further this statement, iNat says, "Given their vague morphological delineation and taxonomic uncertainty, use of hybrid taxon concepts should be avoided whenever possible." And besides, under the Biological Species Concept, hybrids don't exist anyway so let's lump all ducks. ;)
@birdwhisperer as @masonmaron said, there are a number of fairly well-known hybrids between Wood Duck and other ducks, both in the wild and in captivity with documented parentage. As far as duck hybrids go, hybrids involving Wood Duck aren't super rare. You may be thinking of Mandarin Duck; hybrids between that species and other ducks appear to be genuinely extremely rare (if they even exist at all), which has been attributed to differences in chromosomal number and/or structure between that species and other ducks (including Wood Duck, its closest relative).
And no, the biological species concept doesn't say that hybrids don't exist and that any two organisms that can feasibly produce offspring are automatically the same species (no matter how rare and no matter whether or not the offspring is fertile—and even fertile offspring don’t automatically make the parents the same species under the bsc...)
@masonmaron Is there an observation possibly representing this hybrid? Since all hybrids are deviations from the Clements Checklist, iNat usually doesn't add hybrids unless someone submits one. I noticed eBird has no sightings either which leads me to be very doubtful of this being a real hybrid since Wood Ducks are genetically more distinct than most ducks and some deny hybridization at all using the tenuous Wood x Mandarian Duck as an example.