I am trying to recall the details from a devo class I took in grad school, but iirc the hybridization issue is even more complex on the fertilization level. That is, fertilization to multiple cell stages can occur between even widely diverse taxa (even though they do not progress further). The distance between taxa can be extreme if the protein coat of the sperm is removed or altered. I will search for the papers from the class (more likely similar topics as it has been about 8 years!) to ref, but I think I am remembering the concept accurately, just not the specifics. Neat stuff and (imho) a lot more important to speciation than is widely known.
Doctor Bashir: "Of all the stories you told me, which were true and which weren't?"
Elim Garak: "My dear Doctor, they're all true"
Doctor Bashir: "Even the lies?"
Elim Garak: "Especially the lies"