genetics

Accelerated evolution of genes controlling bones of great apes 2 million years ago leading to humans

Scientists have identified the genetic changes which altered our skeleton in our evolution from apes to humans

This is not about the human-animal relationship which is the prime topic of this website but about the human-animal and our evolution from the great apes. Scientists at a number of institutions and universities – primarily Texas University and Columbia – have identified the genetic changes which took place during our evolution from apes to …

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A gay couple of men might be able to have a child to whom they are both genetically related

Gay men may be able to have a child of their own to whom they are both genetically related

This is quite a provocative story for some people. For me it is just fine because I am a great believer in equality and inclusivity although I don’t agree with all that is going on in the woke movement. This story is about scientific research which may allow, for example, a couple of gay men …

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Howling is hard-wired into ancient dog breeds but much less so in modern breeds

Wolves howl, dogs howl less and some dog breeds hardly howl at all

The dog population is made up of purebred and random bred dogs and hybrids. I don’t know the exact breakdown as it is unclear but there are far more purebred dogs than there are purebred cats as a percentage of the whole. And research indicates that amongst a group of 68 purebred dogs some of …

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Drug may extend the life of humans and make elderly less frail

A drug that extended life by 7% in mice (infographic)

This experiment which has been reported on the biorxiv.org website and which is yet to be peer-reviewed, is very exciting because on my estimation using the data provided by The Times newspaper, it concerns a drug which may extend life by about 7% in humans and make the elderly less frail. How did I work …

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More than 370 genetic diseases affect dogs

Over 370 genetic diseases affect dogs

The dog is the non-human species for which the largest number of genetic disorders is known and as at 2002 (20 years ago) over 370 genetic diseases had been documented (Ostrander et al 2000). These diseases have been catalogued and they are searchable on a web-based database, “Inherited Diseases in Dogs”. If you are a …

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Thylacine

Tasmanian tiger can be cloned but not its behaviour

The experts are going to clone the Tasmanian tiger (Thylacine). They are convinced that they can do it using Crispr gene-editing. In layperson’s terms and employing a very general description; firstly, they’re going to produce the complete genetic code for the Tasmanian tiger. Then they are going to use what genetic material that they have …

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Coronach

Racehorses are not getting faster. Why?

It seems that the refinement of the racehorse through selective breeding has reached a ceiling because they are not getting any quicker. In fact, many of today’s records are 50 years old. For example, the great Classic race, the Derby, was run in record time in 1926. The horse, Coronach, who set the record managed …

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Puppies are born with an innate capacity to interact socially with humans

In a study, scientists have found that puppies are born with an innate ability to socially interact with humans without training, and even if they have had almost no interaction with people before. 375 eight-week-old dogs participated in a University of Arizona study in which they demonstrated the ability to understand when a human is …

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Too many dogs are anxious and fearful

Too many dogs are anxious and fearful

I was reading a story on the website The Globe and Mail written by a reader of the website. She had adopted a rescue dog. She wanted to adopt a confident, non-anxious dog. She found herself with a dog who appears to be almost permanently anxious which dramatically affects his behaviour (and the behaviour of …

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Two useful tags. Click either to see the articles: Speciesism - 'them and us' | Cruelty - always shameful

Note: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified.