Expert: Walter Hintz - 8/29/2007

Question
Hi,
you recently answered a question from another person in which he (Doyle)asked you if gestating organisms are members of their species.
 You told him they were.  So does that mean that the single celled zygote is a member of the species at conception, wherease just before conception, the single celled ova  was not?
thank you for your time.

Answer
Hi judy
 A zygote is destined to develop into an individual of the species.  If the egg has been fertilized by a male of a different species then the individual will be hybrid or subspecies. (example- A cross between a blue gill and a red eared sunfish.  or a lion and a tiger)
On the other hand an ovum contains the genome of the species. If cloned it would develop into the member of the parent species.  This occurs naturally in a few species especially insects like bees and ants whereby unfertilized eggs become individuals. (Parthenogenesis)