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What happens when you combine a goat with a spider? It sounds like a joke set up you’d see on the back of a popsicle stick, but instead this is a real question scientists have asked. The answer to their inquiry is even more strange, the females are able to secrete milk through their udders that contains a silk more durable than Kevlar, more stretchable than nylon and stronger than steel.
Of course, these spider goats aren’t the only hybrid animal by any means. This WebEcoist article looks at a variety of cross-species creations, including wholphins, zorses, ligers and beefalos like the one seen above. The beefalo is supposedly lower in cholesterol, higher in protein and lower in fat than its standard bovine counterpart. It’s also more docile. Now if only they could work in some pig to the mix to give it the flavor of a bacon-wrapped steak without all those pesky heart-attack risks.
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At the University of Nevada, Reno researchers have created human-sheep chimeras. The hopeful objective is that human organs for transplants could be grown and harvested using these animals. In the near term, they raise a whole bunch of ethical and legal issues.
Clicking my name will lead to an article with more details.
posted by n2y2 on 3-18-2010 at 3:59 pm
So maybe Kramer really DID see a pig-man in that hospital room…
posted by Craig on 3-18-2010 at 4:14 pm
Maybe it was ManBearPig, Craig. I’m super serial.
posted by Caitlin on 3-18-2010 at 4:33 pm
My parents bought stock in a company that was developing and researching goat silk in the late 90′s. At the time my sister and I thought it was the funniest thing, much to my mother’s annoyance.
posted by MK on 3-18-2010 at 4:52 pm
Talking about adding pig to the mix made me think of Margaret Atwood’s pigoons in Ornyx and Crake (and The Year of the Flood). Hybrids are really creepy after reading those!
posted by Stina on 3-18-2010 at 5:27 pm
And when do we know if we’ve gone too far?
posted by Heather on 3-19-2010 at 9:50 am
This playing with nature thing is really going too far.
I’m all for research and stuff, but in this day and age- financial constraints on research and all- shouldn’t the focus shift from playing around with animal genes to trying to find cures for major/ chronic diseases.
Though, I suppose a beefalo steak does help with the cholesterol problem, if you can afford it! ;)
posted by Dionne on 3-19-2010 at 10:57 am
We’ve gone to far when the super-animals take over the world!!!!
posted by Gil on 3-19-2010 at 11:07 am
What do you get when you cross an elephant and a rhinoceros?
posted by C on 3-19-2010 at 12:02 pm
Hell if I know
posted by C on 3-19-2010 at 12:03 pm
The beefalo is a useless animal, as longhorn meat is just as tasty and low in cholesterol as a buffalo. It’s cheaper too!
posted by tinkerschnitzel on 3-19-2010 at 12:50 pm
C … that’s easy … you got Elephant Rhinoceros sin(theta).
posted by Dinosaur on 3-19-2010 at 1:39 pm