1. A condition in which an organism contains two complete diploid sets of chromosomes derived from two different species, typically resulting from hybridization followed by chromosome doubling.
Usage: technical; biology; genetics

Examples

• Amphidiploidy is common in plants and can arise when two different species hybridize and the resulting sterile hybrid undergoes spontaneous chromosome doubling.
• The wheat species Triticum aestivum is an example of an amphidiploid organism with chromosome sets from multiple ancestral species.
• Scientists study amphidiploidy to understand how new polyploid species evolve in nature.
• Amphidiploidy can restore fertility to otherwise sterile hybrid plants by allowing proper chromosome pairing during meiosis.
• The formation of amphidiploids has been important in crop domestication and plant breeding programs.