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Genetically Engineering Sheep for Larger, Stronger Hindquarters

Posted by chrisd on from the baaby-got-baack dept.

baldingbobo writes "Duke and Agriculture department scientists are reporting that they have discovered an elusive, mutated gene that causes certain sheep to have unusually big and muscular bottoms. The discovery is especially exciting, said the researchers, because the unusual gene has evaded all the traditional means of detection for nearly a decade. They've been searching for this advance for nearly a decade.There are photos available as well."

6 of 71 comments (clear)

  1. excellent by tps12 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I hope they start distributing this to white girls.

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    Karma: Good (despite my invention of the Karma: sig)
  2. Unrealistic body image by ApharmdB · · Score: 3, Funny

    Damn it! When will the farmers and sheep realize that the body images presented to them by Hollywood are unrealistic and stop trying to force the sheep to attain some fake "perfection"? Those sheep on the cover of PlayBaa are not realistic and only make up .0001% of the population. *Psychiatrists take note: Body image disorder groups for sheep will be the hot topic in a few years.

  3. This is the best news article. by Tom7 · · Score: 3, Funny



    GIANT SHEEP ASSES.

  4. ...and there was much jubilation in Scotland. by TheOnlyCoolTim · · Score: 3, Funny

    Q: Why do Scotsmen wear kilts?

    A: Because sheep can hear a zipper from a mile away.

    Q: Why do Englishmen wear pants?

    A: Because goats are deaf.

    Tim

    --
    Omnia vestra castrorum habetur nobis.
  5. Next items on project list by Linux_ho · · Score: 3, Funny

    Monkeys with four asses
    Woman with two asses
    And, finally,
    God with two asses

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    include $sig;
    1;
  6. missing genes by benh57 · · Score: 3, Insightful
    The most interesting part of the article, IMO was down towards the bottom:

    "This is the first time in animals where a mutation has been found that leads to the identification of a new gene, rather than analyzing a known gene to find its mutation," said Jirtle. "As scientists, we are missing many genes and their mutations by using the traditional approach of linkage analysis to locate and analyze candidate genes."

    This new technique could lead to lots of new discoveries, it seems...