Genetically Engineering Sheep for Larger, Stronger Hindquarters

baldingbobo writes "Duke and Agriculture department scientists are reporting that they have discovered an elusive, mutated gene that causes certain sheep to have unusually big and muscular bottoms. The discovery is especially exciting, said the researchers, because the unusual gene has evaded all the traditional means of detection for nearly a decade. They've been searching for this advance for nearly a decade.There are photos available as well."

Re:possible drawbacks

[ktulus cry]

Depending on the actual mechanism of the gene, the sheep most likely would not contract cancer, unless it allowed for CONTINUED muscle growth throughout life. Ordinarily, most mammals are born with a certain number of muscle cells - the number never changes, merely the bulk of each cell. Unrestricted cell division, however, is another word for cancer. Humans could not contract cancer either, merely from eating particularly large muscle groups.