That there’s a fox
I knew they’d bred foxes to be tame in Russia, but I didn’t realize it was part of a deliberate scientific study. They bred friendly foxes to friendly foxes and aggressive foxes to aggressive foxes and now (in a process they probably didn’t imagine when they started out sixty years ago) they’ve been able to sequence both genomes and compare.
There are about a hundred gene differences between the two groups of foxes, but they zeroed in on one gene in particular — one that is associated with with autism and Alzheimer’s in humans. That bit isn’t relevant, I just thought it was weird and interesting.
The thing I thought was cool: as the fox generations became friendlier, they developed things like white spots, floppy ears, curly tails. Physical characteristics we associate with domestic animals.
A NatGeo article about the study is here, which links to the actual study.
Posted: August 6th, 2018 under personal, science.
Comments: 9
Comments
Comment from Skandia Recluse
Time: August 6, 2018, 9:20 pm
So what you are saying is, that over time, the leftist progressive propaganda being fed to our children will eventually become a genetic predisposition to Marxist-Leninism.
And achieve noticeable results in only three generations or so.
Comment from DurnedYankee
Time: August 6, 2018, 9:21 pm
“The thing I thought was cool: as the fox generations became friendlier, they developed things like white spots, floppy ears, curly tails. Physical characteristics we associate with domestic animals.”
Somewhere a bunch of foxes are saying “We have proved over a 60 year trial that humans prefer animals with white spots, floppy ears and curly tails”.
Comment from 50srefugee
Time: August 7, 2018, 1:23 am
Since we are the meta-domesticated animals, why don’t we have floppy ears and white spots? I guess we have to settle for short ears that can’t flop and hairless skin.
Comment from Wolfus Aurelius
Time: August 7, 2018, 4:52 pm
Friendlier they may be, but have they lost those quick wits that foxes are famous for?
Comment from DurnedYankee
Time: August 7, 2018, 5:04 pm
The real question is – why did President Trump collude with them to do this study!
Comment from drew458
Time: August 8, 2018, 12:36 am
1) What about all those lazy dogs the quick brown foxes used to jump over? Are they now unemployed?
2) Let’s see the other foxes, the hyper aggressive ones bred over 40+ generations. Did they turn into giant killer werewolves or something? Or are their coats extra red? Maybe with green eyes, freckles, and no souls?
Comment from Monty James
Time: August 8, 2018, 3:32 am
Here’s another comment Akismet or whatever your spam thing is won’t allow me to put up.
[Edit] Alright, sorry, this one made it.
Comment from Durnedyankee
Time: August 8, 2018, 1:02 pm
“Maybe with green eyes, freckles, and no souls?”
mmmmmmmmmmm….gin-gers…..
What?
I didn’t say anything…no no dear, I wasn’t doing, or saying anything, or anything!
Comment from Drew458
Time: August 9, 2018, 2:22 pm
( channels Steve Martin SNL routine from many years ago):
We are wild and crazy ginger foxes! With Russian accent!
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