Orthohybridization

Orthohybridization is a term sometimes used in evolutionary biology and paleontology to describe a particular pattern of evolutionary change. It suggests a mode of speciation or lineage development where an organism exhibits characteristics that are a mosaic of traits from two distinct ancestral groups, but without clear evidence of direct interbreeding or hybridization between those groups. Instead, it implies that the new lineage has independently acquired or re-evolved features that resemble those of two separate ancestral forms.

This concept is often contrasted with hybridization, which involves the direct genetic exchange between two species. Orthohybridization posits that similar morphological or genetic patterns can arise through convergent evolution or through the re-expression of ancestral genes, leading to a resemblance that might superficially appear hybrid, but is not the result of a hybrid origin. The term suggests a form of evolutionary parallelism or convergence where an organism's traits appear to blend ancestral characteristics without the mechanism of interspecific reproduction. It is a less commonly used term and often debated within the scientific community, with many favoring established concepts like convergent evolution to explain such phenomena.