Page - 305 - in The Origin of Species

LAWS GOVERNING THE STERILITY 305 first produced perfectly fertile hybrids, or that the hybrids subsequently reared under domestication became quite fertile. This latter alternative, which was first propounded by Pallas, seems by far the most probable, and can, indeed, hardly be doubted. It is, for instance, almost certain that our dogs are descended from several wild stocks; yet, with perhaps the exception of certain indigenous domestic dogs of South America, all are quite fertile together; but analogy makes me greatly doubt, whether the several aboriginal species would at first have freely bred together and have produced quite fertile hybrids. So again I have lately acquired decisive evi- dence that the crossed offspring from the Indian humped and common cattle are inter se perfectly fertile; and from the observations by Riitimeyer on their important osteological differences, as well as from those by Mr. Bl}'lh on their dif- ferences in habits, voice, constitution, &c., these two forms must be regarded as good and distinct species. The same re- marks may be extended to the two chief races of the pig. We must, therefore, either give up the belief of the universal sterility of species when crossed; or we must look at this sterility in animals, not as an indelible characteristic, but as one capable of being removed by domestication. Finally, considering all the ascertained facts on the inter- crossing of plants and animals, it may be concluded that some degree of sterility, both in first crosses and in hybrids, is an extremely general result ; but that it cannot, under our present state of knowledge, be considered as absolutely universal. LAWS GOVERNING THE STERILITY OF FIRST CROSSES AND OF HYBRIDS. We will now consider a little more in detail the laws gov- erning the sterility of first crosses and of hybrids. Our chief object will be to see whether or not these laws indicate that species have been specially endowed with this quality, in order to prevent their crossing and blending together in utter con- fusion. The following conclusions are drawn up chiefly from Gartner's admirable work on the hybridisation of plants. I have taken much pains to ascertain how far they apply to animals, and, considering how scanty our knowledge is in re-