Quote Originally Posted by Shelby View Post
No.. not in nature, they wouldn't. However by the simple fact that they CAN interbreed successfully, it tells me that they had a common ancestor.

Remember, 'species' is just a label people give to animals. A lot of animals in the same genus could be considered the same kind of animal.. and back in their history, they were the same animal. I don't see how it's unethical to crossbreed what are essentially localities of the same type of animal.. even if they belong to a different genus (it just means more diverse speciation has occured).
Isn't the hybridization of North American colubrids, recently, what caused the New World Rat snakes to be renamed Pantherophis? They were found to be more closesly related to other North American colubrids, than their old world relatives?