Genetic Region For Tame Animals Discovered

[steven johnson]

Genetic tameness research could lead to domestication of animals traditionally not domesticated -- kangaroos, buffalos etc.

ScienceDaily (June 9, 2009) — In what could be a breakthrough in animal breeding, a team of scientists from Germany, Russia and Sweden have discovered a set of genetic regions responsible for animal tameness. This discovery, published in the June 2009 issue of the journal Genetics, should help animal breeders, farmers, zoologists, and anyone else who handles and raises animals to more fully understand what makes some animals interact with humans better than do others. It may also lead to more precise breeding strategies designed to pass specific genes from one generation to the next as a way to produce tame animals.

The roots of this study date back to 1972 when researchers in Novosibirsk, USSR (now Russia), caught a large group of rats in the wilderness around the city. After bringing them into the laboratory, the researchers divided them into two groups. The first group included the most "friendly" rats – those that were not aggressive toward people. The second group included only the most aggressive rats – those that screamed, attacked and bit the researchers. Since then, these rats have been bred with one another, and now, the two groups of rats act very differently toward people. The tame rats tolerate being touched and picked up, and never attack. The aggressive rats scream, run away, or attack and bite.


Genetic Region For Tame Animals Discovered: Horse Whisperers, Lion Tamers Not Needed
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[azul]

1. thanks for this link. Amazing that the programs are there,

ready and waiting to be activated.

I'm thinking some humans might do well to lose some tameness, and stop being such slaves to the damn dollar. Some wild thing seems to be lost in modern man's breeding program. Maybe genes that code for empathy and a spine can be discovered and activated?

[RandomThoughts]

2. It should be noted, that domestication of humans towards accepting certain systems

Is a goal of some people. Quite simply, if having money determines likelihood of procreating, and having money requires submission to authority, it is thought that over time, the majority of society will become submissive and agree to slave state.

Meanwhile the other class that maintains procreation within their own circles, finding most mates at places like colleges with like minded achievers, can cultivate the dominate genes.

This was the meaning to the two separate groups spoken of in H. G. Wells' Time machine. Where one group was docile and was prey to another group of humans that ruled

But things are more complicated then just genes.