What is the term for breeding between two individuals that have different characteristics?

• A. Hybridization
• B. Speciation
• C. Cloning
• D. Mutation

Answer: (A)

The term for breeding between two individuals that have different characteristics is hybridization. Hybridization involves crossing two genetically different individuals to produce offspring that may exhibit a combination of traits from both parents. This approach is commonly used in agriculture, animal breeding, and conservation biology to introduce desired traits and increase genetic diversity within a population.

In contrast, speciation refers to the evolutionary process by which new biological species arise; this process is essentially about the divergence of populations over time, rather than a specific breeding event. Cloning involves creating a genetically identical copy of an individual and does not involve the crossing of differing individuals. Mutation is a change in the DNA sequence of an organism and does not pertain to the breeding process itself, but rather to the genetic variations that could result from breeding. Therefore, hybridization appropriately captures the concept of breeding between individuals with distinct characteristics.