Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Domestication of the Silver Fox
Scientists in Russia have been working on an experiment for the past few decades involving the domestication of silver foxes. They were bred selectively through many generations based on temperament and tameness in order to fully domesticate them. However, unexpected things happened throughout the experiment. Traits that were never seen in the foxes before had emerged such as curly tails and floppy ears. This article provides a new perspective on the genetic change that occurs as a result of domestication.
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It is interesting to think how the original organisms domesticated may have been very different in appearance then their modern decedents. If in only a few generations traits like curly tails and floppy ears were being observed in fox, imagine what can change in thousands of years of domestication of cats, dogs, and sheep. (Just to name a few)
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