[gurps] BioTech-- Eugenics Question

[Susan Koziel]

--- David Scheidt <dmscheidt at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Jan 29, 2008 11:25 AM, Susan Koziel
> <kataryna_dragonweaver at yahoo.com> wrote:
> > >
> >
> > Pretty much - the scarey thing about canines and
> > genetics tho is that for all the variations you
> see
> > that are obviously genetic (ie:pomeranian vs
> mastiff)
> > geneticists still have huge problems actually
> > genetically telling one breed from another (my
> > understanding is they are a very homogeneous
> > genetically).
> 
> Speciation experts tend to plug their ears and sing
> "Na Na.  I can't
> hear you." when dogs come up.  There's still dispute
> whether the
> domestic dog is a different species from the wolf.

Not to mention the fact the endangered species
categorizations of some of the more unusual canines is
constantly in contention over such disputes.


> >
> > are working from. I wonder if any of the horse
> > breeders have looked at crossing any of the lines
> of
> > race horses and draft horses? Maybe all the lines
> > built for speed need to out cross to increase
> hybrid
> > vigor.... rather then continuously breeding the
> > winners of races.
> 
> People who breed for show and racing have pretty
> serious limits on
> what they can use.  So even if they could produce
> better horses by
> going outside their boundaries, the rules don't let
> them.  Racehorses
> have a bunch of congenital medical problems, that
> some people would
> like to breed out, and changes to the rules do get
> proposed from time
> to time.
> 
That somehow seems wrong. You'd think that they'd want
to keep to the roots of thier industry - which IIRC is
land owners bringing in their horses and making bets
on which ones run the fastest.
(Yeah I know it's politics and money that keeps the
rules as they are... but still.... )
-Sue