interfertile

[ in-ter-fur-tl ]

adjective

, Botany, Zoology.

1. able to interbreed.

interfertile

/ ˌɪntəˈfɜːtaɪl /

adjective

1. (of plants and animals) able to interbreed

Derived Forms

• ˌinterferˈtility, noun

Other Words From

• inter·fer·tili·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of interfertile¹

First recorded in 1915–20; inter- + fertile

Example Sentences

"These two species are interfertile, meaning that they can interbreed and produce viable offspring," the Center stated on its website.

From BBC

Multiple interfertile tetraploid species have arisen from the ancestral tetraploid following hybridization, including C. berlandieri and C. hircinum, although the evolutionary relationships among quinoa and its diploid and tetraploid relatives remain unclear25.

From Nature

The reason may be, in part, a lack of mating compatible isolates — as interfertile isolates have been identified only for Chlamydomonas reinhardtii laboratory strains — or the strong push in most biofuel research towards molecular and transgenic technologies rather than breeding.

From Nature

It shows that even after several hundred thousand years of separation, the two species were interfertile.

From Economist