allopolyploidy

Allopolyploidy is a botanical phenomenon where a hybrid plant, normally sterile, becomes fertile due to a doubling of its chromosome sets. This occurs when a hybrid inherits a full set of chromosomes from each parent species, creating homologous pairs necessary for successful gamete formation during meiosis.1

This process is a significant driver of speciation in flowering plants (angiosperms), with an estimated half of all angiosperm species originating this way. Plant breeders utilize chemicals like colchicine to induce allopolyploidy in desirable hybrids. While polyploidy is rare in animals, it is common in plants, with many cultivated varieties like wheat and strawberries being polyploid.12