What is it about?
Hybridization, the interbreeding of individuals from different species, has traditionally been thought to be a threat to a species' survival. Our work on the genomics of the Critically Endangered Balearic shearwater shows that not to be the case. Instead, we show that this seabird species has benefitted from hybridization with other shearwater species, which has improved its genetic diversity. This will help this species avoid problems derived from inbreeding (such as consanguinity) and allow it to adapt to climate change.
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Photo by Rodolfo Mari on Unsplash
Why is it important?
The most important finding of our work is that hybridization can be useful to prevent the extinction of endangered species, opposite to what was previously though. It adds onto a growing trend of studies describing the benefits of preserving this natural evolutionary process, proving its key role in the survival of a flagship seabird species. It serves as a thourough example of the evaluation of hybridization in a critically endangered species and highlights the need to incorporate such studies in conservation plans.
Perspectives
We expect this article to have a profound impact on the way hybridization is regarded, not only by the scientific community, but also by lawmakers and conservation planners. Furthermore, we hope that our work contributes to the current efforts that tackle the population decline of the Balearic shearwater. Hopefully, it will bring attention to this charismatic seabird with which we share the critically overfished waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
Guillem Izquierdo Arànega
Universitat de Barcelona
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Pervasive and recurrent hybridization prevents inbreeding in Europe’s most threatened seabird, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, August 2025, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2427223122.
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