This message is from: Lori Lemley <lori.lem...@gmail.com>
I found the following article about dog breeding very relevant to the topic of "directional selection" that has developed from the Cushings discussion. *"Bad Genes, Babies and Bath Water*" *First published in Double Helix Network News, Fall 1998, Revised September 2007* http://www.ashgi.org/articles/breeding_bad_genes.htm Here is the opening paragraph: "Everyone has heard the phrase, 'Don't throw out the baby with the bath water.' But do dog breeders ever stop to consider how this admonition applies to them? Certainly not the novice who righteously declares that he will never, ever, keep anything that has even the possibility of producing the smallest genetic defect. Not even the experienced breeder who refuses to consider an otherwise excellent line because it sometimes throws cataracts. This tendency toward genetic over-kill not only culls dogs that might have something to offer, it can exacerbate the very problems breeders are trying to avoid. The following is a real life example of what can happen when breeders exercise short-sighted culling in the name of genetic disease control." Lori Lemley Little Rock, AR Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
