noun
- a condition in which an organism has four sets of chromosomes derived from two different species, typically resulting from hybridization followed by chromosome doubling.
Usage: technical; genetics; botany
Examples
- Allotetraploidy is common in crop plants and has contributed to the evolution of many agricultural species.
- The wheat species underwent allotetraploidy, which made it fertile and stable for cultivation.
- Scientists study allotetraploidy to understand how new plant species arise in nature.
- Allotetraploidy can occur when two different diploid species hybridize and their offspring undergo chromosome doubling.