Today my anthropology professor lectured on how species that are too different to interbreed stay separate from one another. For example, differences in habitat and differences between sexual organs can stop two different species from breeding. For some reason this reminded me of those stories we’ve all heard about dolphins molesting scuba divers. Then I recalled some B.S. story my friend in fifth grade told me about a group of scuba divers actually getting pregnant as a result of being molested by dolphins.
Is that actually possible?
From the little I know about genetics, it seems as if a dolphin and a human would have to have the same number of chromosomes to produce a zygote.
If it is possible, the embryo’s not going to thrive… right?
There are plenty of species that are much more closely related than dolphins and humans that can’t interbreed. There are molecular mechanisms that would prevent fertilization even if you used artificial insemination.
When closely related species can hybridize, they sometimes do so in spite of chromosomal differences, but the chromosomal differences make the hybrid offspring infertile by interfering with the stage of meiosis where homologous chromosomes align.
The ability or inability to breed doesn’t really have much relation to critters trying to. That’s more of a psychological issue than biological…except in extreme cases, of course. A poodle’s not going to be very receptive to being mounted by a horse, of course (of course)
As for dolphins and people: dolphins are very social animals for whom sexual play is a large part of socializing. They’re also one of the few animals that actually seek out the company of humans, so it’s actually not just an urban legend that dolphins are rather forward with people.
However, penetrative sex might be an exaggeration. If I’ve heard right, dolphins are very strong and males have quite the, shall we say, hydraulic system, and so being on the receiving end of that could be a good way to get injured. I’ve never run into anyone with personal experience of that, though, so take it with a grain of salt.
During the 10 years I worked at a large Marine Park I heard lots of stories about rapes, as well asconcensual sex between humans and dolphins. All happening at some other park far far away.
Having spent many hours in the water with these animals I find it incredible that intercourse could occur… at least if the dolphin is male and the human is female. These 700-800 pound animals are extremely powerful and even being nudged by them can be quite a jolting experience. I’ve seen an adult scuba diver have his ribs broken when a male Tursiops, spurned by a female, took it out on the hapless diver. It was over rather quickly and the diver ended up in the hospital. So much for the image of a “friends of the sea”.
I can tell you that for a while women on their periods were asked to avoid swimming with the dolphins for fear it might “work up” the males… but I’m pretty sure this is just an urban myth.
Could dolphins and humans interbreed at some point? Perhaps… but it’s much more likely (and disturbing) that stories about men and their sheep apparently aren’t fiction after all…