An introduction to mammalian interspecific hybrids
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Updated: Aug 12, 2026

Harvesting Sperm and Artificial Insemination of Mice
Published on: April 28, 2007
1Department of Physiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Abstract:
Haldane's law states that in interspecific hybrids, it is the heterogametic sex that is likely to be absent, rare, or sterile. In mammals, there is increasing evidence to suggest that this may be due to the high mutation rate of male sex-determining genes on the Y chromosome. The mule, humanity's first successful attempt at genetic engineering, provides some support for this concept. Interspecific hybrids may also shed new light on the importance of the maternal transmission of mitochondrial DNA and the phenomenon of genomic imprinting.
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