Communications Biology: Fertile goat–ibex hybrid confirmed

Enlarge

A new study in Communications Biology by our Chair, with first author <u>Neža Pogorevc</u>, <u>Maulik Upadhyay</u> and <u>Prof. Ivica Medugorac</u> (corresponding author), shows that goats and ibex can hybridize successfully, and warns that shared DNA between species is not always a sign of gene flow.

A fertile goat–ibex hybrid
The team analysed whole-genome sequences of 164 individuals of the genus Capra, 36 of them newly generated. The data confirm a goat–ibex hybrid and identify two backcross offspring. This is evidence that male F1 hybrids can be fertile.

Gene flow before and after domestication
The analyses covered domestic goats (Capra hircus), their wild ancestor the bezoar (C. aegagrus) and three ibex species (C. ibex, C. pyrenaica and C. sibirica). They revealed patterns consistent with introgression both before and after goat domestication. Eight candidate regions carry haplotypes shared between species that point to ancient introgression predating domestication, and these regions are enriched for genes involved in olfaction and immunity.

Not every shared haplotype means gene flow
Some of these regions show signatures that are also compatible with balancing selection, where ancestral variants persist in several species over long periods. The study therefore highlights the importance of distinguishing introgression from balancing selection when interpreting shared genomic variation across species.

The work was done in close collaboration with the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), including corresponding author Prof. Simon Horvat. The authors thank the Drežnica and Bovec hunting associations for Alpine ibex samples, and the Drežnica goat breeders, especially the Cuder family, for their cooperation and for preserving the F1 hybrid. The research was funded by the Slovenian Research Agency, DAAD and the DFG. The article is open access.

Publication: Pogorevc, N., Upadhyay, M., Simčič, M., Sandoval-Castellanos, E., Horvat, S., … Medugorac, I. (2026). Evolutionary dynamics of adaptive introgression and balancing selection in domestic and wild Capra species. Communications Biology. DOI: 10.1038/s42003-026-11159-y