- Joined
- Feb 9, 2004
- Messages
- 1,764
With all the discussion of inbreeding and hybridizing going on right now and, of course, all the questions and statements about the genetics involved, I'm wondering if anyone out there knows of any literature or studies dealing with theraphosid genetics. Yes, the basic science of genetics can probably be applied to tarantulas but until we really know what genes are actually involved, can we really make big genetic arguments against inbreeding or hybridizing? An example: Ryan's example of the sibling hybrids with different phenotypes, what is actually causing this? Is there a name for the gene expressing these different characteristics? Another example: The species that are abundant in (US) the hobby now thought to have originated with only one gravid, WC female. What does this say about inbreeding?
It's not like we're breeding corn snakes or leopard geckos in that we know exactly what's going on so why aren't more people experimenting with tarantulas and trying to figure what's going on? Is it the maturation time of tarantulas? The profit margin that goes along with introducing something new to the hobby? Something else? Or are we just taking what we know from other "exotic" animal hobbies and applying it to tarantulas? Is this just the beginning of tarantula genetics?
Sorry for the stream-of-consciousness way of writing this. Long day combined with a lot of questions for which I haven't quite figured out a way of asking.
My only stipulation (that I will have no way of enforcing ) is that , even though I brought up other animals, you don't try to bring dogs, cats, wolves, rutabegas, or dandelions into the conversation. Thanks.
It's not like we're breeding corn snakes or leopard geckos in that we know exactly what's going on so why aren't more people experimenting with tarantulas and trying to figure what's going on? Is it the maturation time of tarantulas? The profit margin that goes along with introducing something new to the hobby? Something else? Or are we just taking what we know from other "exotic" animal hobbies and applying it to tarantulas? Is this just the beginning of tarantula genetics?
Sorry for the stream-of-consciousness way of writing this. Long day combined with a lot of questions for which I haven't quite figured out a way of asking.
My only stipulation (that I will have no way of enforcing ) is that , even though I brought up other animals, you don't try to bring dogs, cats, wolves, rutabegas, or dandelions into the conversation. Thanks.