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| Future of the Pet Industry. | |
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| Topic Started: Mar 17 2009, 08:36 PM (1,906 Views) | |
| Terrence of Chance | Mar 17 2009, 08:36 PM Post #1 |
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Infant
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I had collected a number of facts and thoughts about the pet industry of today. Some of them have allready been touched upon in the 'Dino-chicken' thread, but I thought I would offer a few other subjects. Genetic engineering has allready touched upon our pets today. Google for 'Allergen-free cats' and 'Glo-fish' and you'll see what I mean. The latter critter is a rather extreme example, not only are the fish now sporting genes that make them glow under a UV light, but they are also a species that has been TRADEMARKED. One could only guess what else might be in store. So let's guess, shall we? In event of Lazarus Taxon: Who here has heard of the Laotian Rock Rat? Y'know, that rodent that was seen for sale as meat in a market, and was later discovered to be a descendant of prehistoric mice? Ever seen any videos of it? If you like Chinchillas and rabbits, the critter has an appeal that'll make you melt. Currently, the Rock rat is listed as Critically endangered. However, if people really want to give the little critter a chance, they only have to look up willing and able rodent-breeders. It's adorable complexion, plus it's status as a 'living fossil', would be drive enough for keepers to want one. I've heard this saying for a long time now, and feel that it rings true. "If an animal becomes popular in the pet trade, it's survival as a species is guaranteed." Kabutomushimania: Japan loves it's bugs. Beetles, to be more precise. The fact that they're short-lived doesn't seem to dampen their enthusiasm for the insects any. Yet breeders in the land of the rising sun are always looking for ways to make their kabutomushi bigger, stronger, and longer-living. What might some of these breeders decide to do with the reecent advances made in genetics? We might see dog-sized beetles being taken for walks, sometime in the not-too-distant future. Jurassic Petting Park?: This was a thought that came to mind after reading over the Dino-chicken thread. If you want pets, sure, a miniature 'Neosaurus' would be neat. I can see people having lots of fun with their little teacup raptors. But there's ANOTHER species that you could probably reverse-engineer for, with probably just-as-good results. I speak of the Eohippus, aka Hyracotherium. I find 'Eohippus' an easier name to pronounce. ^^; But seriously, a REALLY miniature horse. Hey little girls, why bother with a Pony, when you could have an Eohippus? You can actually hold it, hug it, and take it to bed with you. Though you would have to take care of it's 'accidents'. And make sure that the cat doesn't play 'Lions and Gazelle' with it. I hope that's a loaded-enough 'first discussion post' for you peeps. ^^;; I posted it here cause of the majority of the subject matter, but if you mods feel it needs to be placed elsewhere, please go ahead and move it. |
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| Giant Blue Anteater | Mar 17 2009, 08:52 PM Post #2 |
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Prime Specimen
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I had GloFish before, as I said in the 'Dino-chicken' thread. They're neat little critters. As for large pet beetles, insects have limits in size. Since they do not have an endoskeleton, they will collapse if they are as big as a Labrador retriever and not be able to move. Another factor stopping insects from becomming giants is their method of breathing. The larger the insect gets, the less oxygen gets into the spiracles, so it would just suffocate as a result. Another reason, if they were to shed, they would be rendered as flat as a pancake due to the gravity. However, a shiny apple-colored beetle the size of the giant goliath beetle would be appealing! |
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| Venatosaurus | Mar 17 2009, 09:37 PM Post #3 |
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HAUS OF SPEC
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This is quite an interesting topic. A similar topic was raised in Peter Ward's book Future Evolution. He showed the implications of genetic manipulation/genetic engineering, and he displayed miniature unicorns, purse-shaped terriers, and gryphon-like pet, as well as robotic pets. With GM around pets will definately become more interesting, and the pet industry will never be the same, to family dog will be pushed aside and released back to the wild inplace of dino-chickens and cat-sized horses. But it does bring up a few interesting questions. What will happen to current pets, as these new GM'ed animals become available and more fashionable, what will happen to Fido and Snowball, would they be abandoned and released into the wild, choking up cities/suburbs and woodlands with feral cats and stray dogs. And what about the farming industry, fatter pigs, larger,meatier chickens...hell remote controlled sheep ? Why not, obviously moral issues would not hinder some people's decisions. |
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| Carlos | Mar 18 2009, 07:19 AM Post #4 |
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Adveho in me Lucifero
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I think people will still want cats and dogs, even if that makes them GMed (example: you could make actual furries with them). What I want, though, is something that strongly resembles a pterosaur or a microraptorine |
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Lemuria: http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/5724950/ Terra Alternativa: http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/forum/460637/ My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Carliro ![]() | |
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| Viergacht | Mar 19 2009, 10:33 AM Post #5 |
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faceless fiend
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I'd like to use GM to make pets a little smarter. It'd be nice to explain to them that the vet isn't trying to kill them, or that the doorbell they're hearing is on tv, or that I'm not abandoning them forever, just going out to the store. In the Instrumentality of Man and a lot of Paul DiFilipino's stories pet animals have been so modified they're almost indistinguishable from humans - I could see that being a trend, seeing as how people like to dress up and train animals to act like little people now. |
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| ashwinder | Mar 22 2009, 07:05 PM Post #6 |
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Adolescent
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I had a couple of ideas in my Pandora thread. Everpup: Canis lupus familiaris barrie. I think that people would love ti own a puppy (or kitten for that matter) that would stay in a juvenile form for its entire life. Dogs are neotenous as it is so I don't see why it wouldn't be possible to push them a little further! Sabre-tooth kitten: Felis catus prehistorica Not a real smilodon just a domestic cat made to mimic a sabretooth's fanglike appearance but in miniature. ------- I have recently been studying domestication for my MSc and I think it would be fascinating to see other currently feral animals properly domesticated. So how about properly domesticated fox, bat and otter subspecies. In fact here's an image from a study by Russian scientists which attempted to create a new subspecies of domestic fox: ![]() |
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| Venatosaurus | Mar 22 2009, 07:10 PM Post #7 |
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HAUS OF SPEC
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Interesting, I would quite like a pet fruit bat. |
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| truteal | Mar 22 2009, 09:42 PM Post #8 |
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forum bigfoot
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a long time ago I watched a doco on cloning and genetic engineering and one of the potential ideas was rodent sized elephants. |
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My sporadically updated Youtube page Do you get it? I hardly ever come here so I'm like something a cryptozoologist would study | |
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| Venatosaurus | Mar 22 2009, 10:02 PM Post #9 |
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HAUS OF SPEC
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It'd actually be cool if they made small animals like the ones shown in Spy Kids 2, both the normal species and the crossbreeds like the Slizards, Spider Monkeys etc. |
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| Carlos | Mar 23 2009, 01:49 AM Post #10 |
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Adveho in me Lucifero
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Lets just stick to the mini animals now; I don't like those spider monkeys |
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Lemuria: http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/5724950/ Terra Alternativa: http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/forum/460637/ My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Carliro ![]() | |
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| Venatosaurus | Mar 23 2009, 05:34 AM Post #11 |
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HAUS OF SPEC
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They were a but creppy, but I wouldn't mind the Bullfrog or Flying Pig. It's be interesting to see what is done to fish and lizards in the future, could they be made to be more elaborate, I wouldn't mind a pet Draco (gliding lizard genus). |
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| Carlos | Mar 23 2009, 07:36 AM Post #12 |
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Adveho in me Lucifero
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Or we could use arthropods. Do you know Snaiad's arthrognathans? |
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Lemuria: http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/topic/5724950/ Terra Alternativa: http://s1.zetaboards.com/Conceptual_Evolution/forum/460637/ My Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/Carliro ![]() | |
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| Viergacht | Mar 23 2009, 11:23 AM Post #13 |
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faceless fiend
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Isn't something like a Pom or Chihuahua practically a walking fetus already? I can't imagine what else could be done to make it more neotenous. |
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| Terrence of Chance | Mar 26 2009, 07:41 PM Post #14 |
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Infant
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Ashwinder: I've heard a lot about the Russian domestic fox program. The original intention was actually to make the foxes easier to handle when it came to skinning for the fur industry. Their breeding attempts to tame them backfired, when the tamer the foxes became, the more varied their coats started becoming. It later turns out that the amount of adrenaline produced in a fox, also dictates their coat colors. The tamer they got, the less adrenaline they produced, and thusly, we get foxes that now resemble dogs more than they do their original species. Said breeders are now looking at the pet industry with their creations. As for other animals, I've long thought that an otter and the Flying Foxbat would both make good candidates for a taming-pet program. Lord knows there's an association for pet skunks. |
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| ashwinder | Mar 29 2009, 06:52 PM Post #15 |
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Adolescent
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I knew the foxes came from the fur industry but I didn't realise they were being bred FOR the industry. I also heard about how the coat became more patchy (as can be seen in the images) also size changed, ears became floppy and puppy-like, and their calls became less foxlike and more like 'mewing'. It's fascinating that whilst a single phenotype (social with humans) was selected for a number of other phenotypes became influenced. One therefore wonders if the breeders were unintentionally picking foxes with other phenotypes (patchy fur, puppy ears etc) because they associated them with other domestics (such as dogs) or if the phenotypes are in some way connected. This leads onto modern domestics; Do dogs look like dogs because humans find them appealing or are their a number of 'dog traits' which simply cluster and come hand in hand with domestication. As for Chihuahua being fetal, this is true I guess. But still Andrex puppies grow into labs, it might be interesting to have a geneticaly engineered runt that would never grow up. |
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