ScienceAugust 11, 2026

transgressive

tranz-GRES-iv

Definition

Refers to a phenotype in a hybrid offspring that falls outside the range of variation observed in either parent generation.

Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'transgressus,' meaning to step across or go beyond. It entered English in the 17th century to describe the act of exceeding limits or breaking boundaries.

In the news

In the study of hybridization, transgressive traits are important because they allow hybrid populations to potentially occupy new ecological niches that their parents cannot.

Genetics and genomics of hybridization

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Nature

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