neilg
New member
domestication routinely takes 100s to 1000s of years to change the species at a significant genetic level. but with today's genetic advancements which even transcend selective breeding, perhaps the possibilities are nearly endless thanks(?) to the advent of gene splicing, etc.
(i have yet to know of any reptilian domestication projects which involve GMO as a catalyst towards domestication. do u?)
but even without genetic engineering, some species of reptilia seem well on their way to reaching genetically domestic status thanks to already 100s of years of selective breeding under their belts.
examples of some popular non-reptilian ornamental domestical animals that i can think of whose colors/shapes transcend their wild type ancestors:
goldfish, koi (ie, comets, butterfly) domesticated from wild carp
fancy fighting fish (ie, halfmoon, crown) domesticated from wild betta splendens
fancy guppy (ie, cobra, snakeskin) domesticated from wild guppy antecedent
iguanas and red ear sliders seem to already be accepted as semi/domesticated - as they are by their nature easily domesticated, plus but they are both also considered domestically and agriculturally a domestic meat source in some locales! but, i really don't see any visual change in the iguana domesticated whether for meat or pets from their wild type. with res it's clearer as there are now caramel pinks, albinos, lubinos, etc that aren't observed in thriving wild populations' adult specimens due to their vulnerability/challenges.
with reptiles at this stage in domestication, the key would be to visually be able to differentiate a cb specimen from a wild specimen of similar/same species. much like how we'd distinguish a domestic dog from a full-blooded wild wolf.
i for one, dont see much of difference between your average domestic alley cant and the african wild cat, despite the former having been domesticated for over 4,000 years now. but, their differences would be more behavioral and genetic, as cats weren't domesticated much for ornamental, but pest control purposes.
are there any other reptiles well on their way to approaching domesticated status aside from RES & iguanas?
(i have yet to know of any reptilian domestication projects which involve GMO as a catalyst towards domestication. do u?)
but even without genetic engineering, some species of reptilia seem well on their way to reaching genetically domestic status thanks to already 100s of years of selective breeding under their belts.
examples of some popular non-reptilian ornamental domestical animals that i can think of whose colors/shapes transcend their wild type ancestors:
goldfish, koi (ie, comets, butterfly) domesticated from wild carp
fancy fighting fish (ie, halfmoon, crown) domesticated from wild betta splendens
fancy guppy (ie, cobra, snakeskin) domesticated from wild guppy antecedent
iguanas and red ear sliders seem to already be accepted as semi/domesticated - as they are by their nature easily domesticated, plus but they are both also considered domestically and agriculturally a domestic meat source in some locales! but, i really don't see any visual change in the iguana domesticated whether for meat or pets from their wild type. with res it's clearer as there are now caramel pinks, albinos, lubinos, etc that aren't observed in thriving wild populations' adult specimens due to their vulnerability/challenges.
with reptiles at this stage in domestication, the key would be to visually be able to differentiate a cb specimen from a wild specimen of similar/same species. much like how we'd distinguish a domestic dog from a full-blooded wild wolf.
i for one, dont see much of difference between your average domestic alley cant and the african wild cat, despite the former having been domesticated for over 4,000 years now. but, their differences would be more behavioral and genetic, as cats weren't domesticated much for ornamental, but pest control purposes.
are there any other reptiles well on their way to approaching domesticated status aside from RES & iguanas?