Hybrids, dog breeds and DNA: What makes a species?

What The Duck?!

It's a seemingly simple question from What the Duck?! listener Skylar: how do scientists determine a new species?

Turns out, it's complicated.

And it's got Ann Jones impersonating a dog on the internet to try to find out what breed she is, as well as asking, 'what is a species anyway?'.

Featuring:

• Skyla Seltzer, What The Duck?! listener.
• Beanz and Henry the dog.
• Link Olson, Curator of Mammals, University of Alaska Museum.
• Dr Nicola Rivers, Monash University.
• Professor Paul Hebert, Scientific Director, International Barcode of Life.
• Dr Leo Joseph, Australian National Wildlife Collection CSIRO.
• Tim Low, Biologist and author.

Thanks also to Ying Luo for background information.

Production:

• Ann Jones, Presenter / Producer.
• Petria Ladgrove, Producer.
• Additional mastering: Hamish Camilleri.

This episode of What the Duck?! was originally broadcast in December 2023 and was produced on the land of the Wadawarrung and Kaurna people.