Tuesday, April 24, 2007

DOG GERMS..I mean GENES!
Finding the
CAN I?, CAN I?, CAN I?, in CANINE.

Scientific evidence reveals that all 400+ breeds of Dog (Canis lupus familiaris) from Chihuahua to Great Dane, originated with the Wolf (Canis lupus).
Doggie DNA is a smidge different than that of the Wiley Coyote (originally pronounced Koy-Oh-Tay) and the Sly Fox.

Initial Mitochondrial DNA research has indicated that atleast 15,000 years ago, domesticated Dogs were living 'with' Humans in Asia.

Dogs were the FIRST animal to be domesticated and remain our ‘bestus friendus’ primarily because of

A. their genetic engineering and
B. our insistence on anthropomorphically interpreting their slobbery, submissive, gestures as
Unconditional LOVE.
Whatever, close enough!

Dogs, like their Lupine ancestors, crave and demand social structure and therefore easily adapt to adopting human packs. They also have some ‘leftover’ behavioral traits that seem impossible to extract, such as turning in a circle to flatten ‘imaginary grass’ before having a nap.

Dogs helped themselves by helping humans to hunt.They added another dimension to the cause because their senses are embarrassingly superior to our own limited abilities. Dogs also became our guardians, herbivore herding associates, and ‘Besties’. This partnership may one day be recognised as being as paradigm shifting as the discovery of Fire, the Wheel, the Remote Control and Caller ID.

A Wolf goes through a series of observable, pre-determined, stages whenever it is hunting such as

Eye-Stalk/Chase/Grab-Bite/Kill-Bite
(and my addition) ‘Wolf-Down’ .

Man has manipulated these traits to produce specific types by selectively breeding and reinforcing these characteristics.
For instance, even though a great deal of training is involved,
Pointers are biologically pre-dispositioned at Eye Stalk, Retrievers are genetically modified to halt at Grab-Bite.

I had a Dachshund named Fritz
who was seriously stuck at Grab-Bite/Wolf-Down,
and Fritz's menu included everything but rocks.

Because Wolves stay Wolves, the current theory is that those Rascals with the greatest tolerance for hangin’ out around early Man and enjoyed feeding on his scraps, reproduced offspring that were genetically predispositioned to adopt Humans.

Physically they began to morph into a subspecies; their brain power decreased because scavenging is easier than hunting and Nature tossed aside other traits that predators who hunt large herbivores require. So basically, what we are left with are developmentally stunted Wolf Puppies.

Since then, Humans have created Breeds for every conceivable occupation, from large guard dogs
(I read somewhere that Mr.Pinscher developed Dobermans in 35 years) to small Lap Dogs bred to attract the Fleas from the hygienically challenged European Nobility.

One of the coolest things that I have ever seen on PBS was an experiment on Russian Foxes. Geneticist Dimitri Belyaev believed that the patterns of changes observed in domesticated animals resulted from genetic changes and bred Foxes with the least aggressive dispositions.

Belyaev believed that behavior is rooted in biology and his experiment in selecting for tameness and against aggression,
proved that physiological changes took place in the systems that govern the Fox's hormones and neurochemicals
.

After several generations of interbreeding ‘Nice’ Foxes, the offspring developed floppy ears (wild animals do not have floppy ears),

curly tails, different coloured coats (non-camouflaged) and a few less ‘killing’ teeth.
The Foxes started to look and act more like Dogs because of changes in the levels of adrenaline and serotonin. Is that Cool or what?

In a few years the developing disciplines of Neuroscience and Technology will map the electrical-chemical pathways of the Human Brain in an attempt to demystify, understand, and no doubt modify, our behavior. Mysteries such as the existence of God, the Meaning of Life, and the current fascination with American Idol’s Sanjaya Malakar, will fall at our feet. Yippee!

Do you suppose that Humans will be genetically modified to produce ‘kinder-gentler’ more malleable citizens or will this process be hijacked to create Uber-Warrior/Soldiers, 10 foot tall/450 pound Super Athletes, and Playboy Centrefolds?

Dogs are ‘nicer’ than Wolves even if they are developmentally stunted. We Homo Escapeons no longer live in a Natural environment and don’t need to be so frickin’ aggressive, do we?


I think that it is quite evident that we are now in the process of discarding unused brainpower, just as Wolves did in order to become Dogs.

What type of People and which specific 'qualities' will the Pharmaceutical Corporations be breeding in 10 years?
I suspect that they'll still want Lap Dogs stuck on
Eye Stalk & Chase (Shop)/Grab Bite (Pay-Tax & Don't Ask)

That BITES

Why don't WE ?!

30 comments:

  1. Cool post...I was with you until the pic of that guy.

    Maybe someone will invent a dog that eats concrete and shits anti-depressants. That would make a good Dog-of-the-Future.

    ReplyDelete
  2. allan,
    Dr Strangelove I presume!
    That would be great..
    it would certainly encourage owners to walk their dogs more often and clean up after they let them crap on your front lawn!

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  3. One reason for humans' increasing aggression (within these metropolitan sprawls)is the old classic __ overcrowding.
    How long before some Hollywood hack comes up with a script about retirement home residents defending their citadels against intruders?
    I think Mel Brooks could do it well. The rest? Please don't!

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  4. dinahmow,
    Your idea for a movie is fantastic! I see reuniting Hoffman and Beatty and recycling some of that Ishtar magic! Cameos by Paul Newman...damn I wish those old buggers from Cocoon were still around, we could have used Lemon and Mathau... and George Kennedy, Red Buttons, Robert Stack, all the guys from those 70s disaster movies..hey Robert Wagner is still around...OK bad guys..hmm gotta have Gary Busey and Gary Oldman...how about the gals from the First Wives Club as the romantic interests? OR Sophia Loren and Ann Margaret!

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  5. Whatever the Corporate Culture ultimately wants to breed, they are well on their way to breeding humans who will eat poop. I predict the first iteration will have added transfat, and be breaded and deep fried. Don't forget the salt! We're likely to stay a little more particular than our canine buddies in that department.

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  6. I have a particular (and peculiar) interest in wolf and dog social behaviour, especially after I realised that humans act exactly the same way in groups. It's totally uncanny.

    signed Alpha Bitch

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  7. I like all those neat little shark swimming thingies you've further littered your blog with.

    Are sharks related to wolves and dogs too?

    I wonder if a new cottage industry might spring up for blog interior design...

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  8. You bring to light so many different things in this post. I heart your enthusiasm here.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This reminded me of the movie Gattaca where parents can choose the genetic makeup of their children and you are actually considered "flawed" if you were born out of love instead of as a result of a consultation with a geneticist.

    I think we are soon headed there but it is kind of scary to know that in a way, mankind is playing God.

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  10. I'd be all for a pet fox. I think that would kick ass.

    No doubt we will begin engineering humans to have specific traits, much like we did with dogs.

    It doesn't seem right. But If it makes "better" people, is it a bad thing? What if it makes us smarter, and healthier?

    I guess we will see what it brings.

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  11. breakerslion,
    Well said...mmmm breaded and deep fried...and salllllt
    *full Homer drool!

    andrea,
    I am glad that you picked up on that..when you look at mob activity whether it is after an inebriated sporting event or a religious rally it is absolutely terrifying how quickly the underlings will follow the leader and behave viciously and irrationally at the slightest provocation.
    Watch how the sycophants prostrate themselves around a Hitler or hateful Mullah...the term lap dog does not do them justice.

    withouthouse,
    Only the Dogfish Shark is related. I see that you didn't comment on how desperately I tried to get you to watch one of these programs on Sunday evening.
    Well now that I have these circling sharks I just want to post about Sharks for about a month.. especially the Yarmouth Shark Derby in New Brunswick where these BIG men haul in the remaing runts still left off the coast of Canada..mainly blues...great sport..aside from the challenge of finding big sharks (good luck chuck) catching a shark is about as hard as leaving a naked Penthouse Pet of the Year waiting in the hotel room of a travelling salesman...hmm wonder if he'll bite?

    cazzie,
    Thanks. It's a little disjointed but I eventually made it to where I wanted to go. If our brains are can be chemically altered and this can cause physical changes as well as behavioral alterations...WOW,

    I can't imagine this goldmine is not being studied by every Military/Political System on the planet...and I love Dogs.

    menchie,
    Gattaca was very interesting and it did make you think about the future..nearly all futuristic films present a totalitarian overhaul over civilization because it is the ONLY viable way to get things back under control...

    how else could any government hope to manage the crime, addictions and violence that, atleast according to the media, is going to eventually swallow us whole?

    anonyfoxblogger,
    There are plenty of strong arguments for creating healthier humans..take a walk through a sick kids ward in any hospital and tell me that it would be wrong to try to eliminate their pain.
    We are on the verge of uncovering real miracles and NOTHING can stop it...whether it will be abused goes without question..someone always finds an 'evil' use for devices that were originally designed to help us.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Sorry to hone in on such a trivial part of your post but I always wondered why dogs do that going round in a circle thing. My dogs sometimes do as many as 12 circuits before they finally lay down and there is never any grass to be seen.

    Your incredible capacity for facts and figures never ceases to astound me. Thought provoking as always......

    ReplyDelete
  13. angel without wings,
    ..now if only I knew where my keys were!
    I'm just naturally curious.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Never mind your keys, just make sure you don't go shopping without your wallet.....lol

    ReplyDelete
  15. mwaaahahahahahahaha... and here i thought we'd get smarter as we evolved!!! spose thats what laptops and cellphones are for eh?
    i like cats more anyway...

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous11:19 am

    most good inventions / discoveries are used for ill but then most have been discovered or developed either during a war or in anticipation of war - I think I probably read that on here first . . .


    goes away and stops trying to say anything worthy

    Like your shark by the way!

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  17. Just another dog day afternoon again!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous11:24 am

    sorry HE - I think I was commenting on a different post (probably an imagined one, the day I'm having!) I would strike it from the record but you don't have a strike it icon so everyone will now know how dim I am (cos they didn't before)

    ho hum

    still, I like your shark :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. In ten years time all human beings will be bred to act like/look like/have the same intelligence levels as Paris Hilton, so that's something to look forward to. All dogs will be bred to fit into handbags like the ones that Paris Hilton favours (er ... the dogs, not the handbags, that is).

    It's going to be a beautiful world.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Do you suppose that Humans will be genetically modified to produce ‘kinder-gentler’ more malleable citizens or will this process be hijacked to create Uber-Warrior/Soldiers, 10 foot tall/450 pound Super Athletes, and Playboy Centrefolds?

    It'll probably be used to create both, at least in some measure. It'll create malleable citizens that you can switch on to uber-soldiers. And we'll all look like supermodels if we can afford it.

    My first novel and my next novel will deal with some of this, with the added fun of robot sex and who rules the world. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  21. sure, this is on it's way ot happening right now...too bad it's a dead end. it will be the outlier groups who refuse to conform and retain genetic diversity that will save you all!
    read too much science fiction,
    fn

    ReplyDelete
  22. Anonymous7:15 pm

    "Yes, we have no Chihuahuas! We have no Chihuahuas today! We've Alsatians, Dalmatians, the fruits of a flirtation, 'tween a half-pint Pekingese and a toupee"

    Thank you Eric Bogle (Gomez)

    "electrical-chemical pathways of the Human Brain "... if you electricaly stimulate the Hypothalamus( large african animal, or the middle part of your brain), you can turn fluffy the lap dog into CUJO.... its called a sham rage..

    Its all so very cool:)

    ReplyDelete
  23. angel without wings,
    I usually lose my wallet too D'OH!

    angel,
    We are getting smarter at accessing information but we seem to leave the analysis of the data up to others in order to save time to do...do what?

    ziggi who can't sign in,
    Look at domesticating horses..how long did it take for people to go from making horses pull a plow and chase antelope to use them for riding into battle.

    steve,
    That was a wild movie..Al was over the top as usual...I cheered for him through the whole damn thing.

    avatar free iggiz,
    No it made perfect sense and why can't I see your new grrr avatar anyway?

    Betty,
    Do you ever get tired of being right all of the time? I would rather we all looked like Salma Hayek and Monica Belluci and George Clooney and 70s version of Robert Redford...might as well go all out!

    chris bradley,
    Cool. Unfortunately too many married people already know enough about robot sex. I suppose that a lot of people would like to see how robots interconnect..as long as the 'guybots' have decent hardware and extended warranties and the 'girlbots' have huge memories!

    first nations,
    It sounds like you have your little cave all picked out and you're ready to start the revolution. If you see Bin Laden don't forget that there is still a reward of $25M..
    *plays theme from jeopardy.

    aidan,
    The Hippokillmus kills more peoplein Africa than any other large multicellular animal
    ..but the Mosquito kills millions more.

    btw: In the interests of Science I am all for having my hardwire pulled and pulled often.

    ReplyDelete
  24. scary and informative at the same time. And this could be the only time anyone had written so much bout dog psychology in a blog! Yippe.

    YEs, true to say, they are the besties of us. We had a dog last time which was home fed with watever we ate. My granny even hand feeds him. But then one day my brother had this bright idea to give him pedigree (the canned dog food). Guess what happened? Jhonny ran away from home! That was a sad episode.

    For now, I want a wolf dog hybrid that can eat cats and critics and skeptics. :D

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  25. woof woof Im here.

    btw in the year 2050, there'll be dogs on treadmills and diet pills. In the meantime we humans will be the dogs.

    now wont u come n help me title my current post, like a sweet cute bootiful coochee-coo darling?

    keshi.

    ReplyDelete
  26. ghosty!!!
    A wolf hybrid will probably eat you! That was a sad story about jhonny...why change to poodegree after all that time?
    I actually knew someone whose Great Dane ate one of his neighbour's cats((ugh))I'm sure all of the cat lovers are sorry that I wrote that.
    I like cats, love kittens.

    keshiroo,
    Our old Vet said that someone brought in a Mastiff, make that a MASSIVEstiff, who was put on a diet because it was nearly 200 lbs! the dog not the owner.
    OK let me see what you're up to.

    ReplyDelete
  27. LOL cute. I used to own many dogs..but I never put em on a diet...neither were they overweight. I guess a dog becomes it's owner, if u know wut I mean.


    Keshi.

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  28. I can't say much about dogs other than that I love my brother's dog.

    ReplyDelete
  29. keshiroo,
    Did you have a fashionista dog with lots of curves?

    gautami,
    Dogs in the Occident have been elevated to mythical proportions.
    I would guess that a huge percentage of the population would be more interested in rescuing Dogs than People...

    because Dogs enjoy the benefit of the doubt whereas People are supposed to know better and bring misery upon themselves and deserve everything that they get.

    In the movie Wall Street Gord Gecko says,
    "The one thing you have to remember about WASPS is that they LOVE animals,
    can't stand people."

    Does that make any sense?

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  30. Anonymous10:17 pm

    This is great info to know.

    ReplyDelete

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