Long Story Shorts: What Are Hybrid Species?

While tales of centaurs, minotaurs, and other mythical hybrid animals have captured the human imagination for centuries, our planet harbors its own collection of extraordinary beings that blur the lines between species. Journey with us as we explore the wonderful world of real-life hybrid animals.
Hey, teachers! Here’s a cheat sheet of what’s included in this episode of Long Story Shorts:
- Definitions of hybrid species and what traits characterize hybrid species
- The frequency of hybrid species, especially in the ocean
- The impact of humans and our changing planet on hybridization events
- Salmon, chinook salmon, coho salmon, Olympic gull, grolar bear, grizzly bear, polar bear, narluga, narwhal, beluga, wolf
This episode is part of our series Long Story Shorts-fun, quick explainers about all things coastal science!
This video series is endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development as a Decade Activity. Find out more about the Ocean Decade here: oceandecade.org/
Created by the Hakai Institute
Series produced by Kristina Blanchflower and Katrina Pyne
Written, edited, and narrated by Kristina Blanchflower
Illustrations by Mercedes Minck
Science consultation by Kelly Fretwell and Toby Hall