Posted on 01/24/2015 3:27:14 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Consumer doggie DNA testing is old hat at this point, having been around since 2007. But cat-lovers who wish to decipher their pet's breed are out of luck -- no such tests exist for felines.
That fact reflects the state of the underlying science. Since the first full dog genome was sequenced ten years ago, geneticists have identified hundreds of genes behind canine diseases and physical traits. By comparison, just a handful of such genes have been identified in cats.
But a group of geneticists is working to close this gap by sequencing 99 domestic cats. This week the researchers unveiled the first results from their "99 Lives" initiative.
...humans could also be beneficiaries of the research. According to Nature, "Cat versions of type 2 diabetes, asthma, retinal atrophy and numerous other conditions have close similarities to human disease. Cats can also become infected with a virus that is closely related to HIV and experience symptoms similar to those of people with AIDS."
To date, Lyons' team has sequenced the genomes of 56 cats at a cost of roughly $7,500 apiece. Funding for the research has been raised through donations from breeders and private owners alike. Currently, her team is studying the genetic basis of feline dwarfism and the genes that give cats silver or gold coats, to name a few.
You can help further cat genome researcher through donations, or collecting DNA samples from your own feline friends. You can learn how to participate by visiting Lyons' website.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.discovermagazine.com ...
Nope. I'm already fighting for space on my bed with a regular size cat. He has a slide rule, always knows where the EXACT CENTER of the bed is, and there he sleeps.
No, because it would eat me if I forgot to feed it.
Thanks for your answer.
Naw.
Big kitty wouldn’t eat you.
Thanks for your answer.
Figures the scientist’s last name is Lyons.
***
:)
Sweet kitty
I think the good Lord already did something like that:
(Pulchritude warning - I’m sure the guys will say that the pet-owner is NOT GUILTY):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDqv1f9UHwQ
I could deal with a Savannah, F2, maybe. But the little kitties we’ve got now jump, bite and scratch quite enough for me :-)
-JT
pro-feline propaganda!
:-)
:^D
I was shuddering through the entire video. I expected Pretty Girl’s face to be scratched off at any moment.
I don’t know anything about her; but unless you’re a professional, and have a professional setup to house one of those guys, I don’t think they’re a good idea as pets. I think a lot of them wind up unwanted, because the owners didn’t know what they were in for, and then become disenchanted.
A Savannah might be nice, somewhere down the F-line.
-JT
“A domestic cat that grows larger due to additional growth associated genes that would have the same temperament as any domestic cat?”
This would not necessarily be a good thing, knowing how destructive some normal-sized house cats can be. And I say that as a cat lover and manservant to three of them.
Ve propose ze final solution to ze dog qvestion!
In the case of the blonde, forced affection is punishable by law.
There is already “designer” cats...
Munchkins, curls, sphinx, and manx (lumpys or rumpys) just to name a few.
Our cat is either a Manx or American bobtail... She’s a stubby with somewhat longish back legs, very affectionate and very VERY vocal.
That’s a nice little Kitler ya got there!
CC
Dogs have owners.
Cats have staff.
People love dogs because dogs love them back. Cats not so much.
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