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G. some biologists believe that coyote–gray wolf hybridization produced the red wolf) (Wayne and Gittleman 1995; Wilson et al. 2000, 2003; Nowak 2002). Questions about hybrids are more familiar to botanists than to zoologists. Look through any comprehensive list of plant species, and you will find many listings such as Typha angustifolia × latifolia, indicating that hybrids of the narrow-leaved cattail (angustifolia) and the broad-leaved cattail (latifolia) occur routinely. However, this is only the tip of the iceberg; it has been estimated that 70% of angiosperms (flowering plants) owe their origins to hybridization (Whitham et al.

Second, every species interacts with its physical environment through processes that exchange energy and elements between the living and nonliving worlds, such as photosynthesis, biogeochemical cycling, and respiration. All of these functional interactions must total in the billions. The diversity of evolutionary functions is even more complex. It includes all these ecological processes because they are key elements of natural selection, in addition to processes such as genetic mutation that shape each species’ genetic diversity.

Even the best zoos of Europe and the United States had tried in vain. 18 Part I Biodiversity and Its Importance Through trial and error, another individual, Fausto Llerana, along with many helpers and advisors, gradually developed tortoise husbandry at the Research Station. Nesting initially failed because improper soil was provided. Some females laid their eggs on the soil surface, where the eggs were promptly attacked by birds. Others used the sandy soil provided, but it did not adhere well and this prevented females from digging proper nests.