carcass traits linked to virus

[knabe]

i know this sounds crazy, but this story just out in humans about obesity with a pink eye comment.  probably not same causal organism in cattle.

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/08/20/ap4037473.html

 

[sjcattleco]

Wouldn't  that be interesting if that virus affected evolutuion and caused some animals to survive while others died  just because they had not been exposed to it....Kinda scary.....Something so small could  do so much to affect the survival of an entire species!

 

[Telos]

Knabe, thanks for sharing this.
Interesting. So much we don't know and much more to learn.
Genetics, viruses, and eating habits can all play a role with obesity IMO.
Our culture has put too much blame on the individuals and not the mechanisms which can cause this problem.

If discovered easy fleshing cattle have the genetics plus a particular kind of virus we could eventually have viral therapies for the harder doing ones.

 

[Telos]

SJCC-- I like that theory. Sounds plausible to me. You could be on to something! Wonder if some lines of cattle have this virus for surviving lean years  and are therefore able to hold their flesh more efficiently. Maybe it is not just the genetics?

 

[TJ]

Knabe, thanks for sharing this.
Interesting. So much we don't know and much more to learn.
Genetics, viruses, and eating habits can all play a role with obesity IMO.
Our culture has put too much blame on the individuals and not the mechanisms which can cause this problem.

If discovered easy fleshing cattle have the genetics plus a particular kind of virus we could eventually have viral therapies for the harder doing ones.

Ditto! Interesting stuff... thanks, knabe!