Intergradation

Intergradation is like when you mix two colors together and they become a new color.

Imagine you have a blue crayon and a yellow crayon. When you use them separately, they make blue and yellow drawings. But when you rub them together, they create a new color - green!

In the same way, intergradation happens when two different groups of animals or plants live close to each other and start mating with each other. The offspring they produce show characteristics of both groups and can create a new group with a mix of traits.

For example, if you have a group of brown rabbits and a group of white rabbits living near each other, they might start mating and producing offspring that are a mix of brown and white. Over time, these mixed rabbits might become their own distinct group with a unique blend of traits.

Intergradation is important for understanding how different species evolve and change over time. By studying intergradation, scientists can learn about the ways that animals and plants adapt to their environments and how new species can arise from the blending of old ones.