[Alan McDougall (OP)]

There are numerous hybrid animals.

I hope I have psted this topic in the correct place, if not please  redirect me!

My questions are

1) why do the cats/dogs/ horses hybrid so easily?
2) Why don't apes and monkeys?.
3) Could genetic manipulation result in a hybrid human ape, God forbid?

4) I have read that there was a case of a hybrid African Indian Elephant. They are different species is this possible?

Can you add more as I am very interested in this topic

[blakestyger]

1) Cats, dogs and horses are all varieties within each of their separate species - that is, for example, all dogs have the same genome but because of selective breeding different alleles of certain genes are chosen when they are expressed. Their forms have been determined by human intervention and they are, therefore, artifacts (as are many of our garden plants).

2) Apes and monkeys, although their genomes are similar there is enough divergence to prohibit hybridisation. This is, of course, a measure of how far back in their evolution they had a common ancestor.

3) I think that this is unlikely as there is, again, even more divergence. Perhaps this idea came about because of the much publicised similarity between human and ape genomes - but it's the differences that matter, after all we share 40% of our genome with bananas but there is no outward expression of this.