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Heterosis

noun

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The tendency of cross-breeding to produce an animal or plant with a greater hardiness than its parents; hybrid vigour. countable, uncountable

    "Hybridisation can also result in heterosis - the scientific term for the production of ʽsuper fit’ hybrid individuals - many examples of which come from agriculture. Heterosis can be thought of as the opposite of inbreeding depression, the phenomenon whereby the offspring of individuals that are genetically too similar - for example, brother and sister - can suffer from debilitating maladies."

  2. 2
    (genetics) the tendency of a crossbred organism to have qualities superior to those of either parent wordnet

Etymology

From hetero- + -osis.

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