One mutant gene. That's all it took.
While the boys were doing their usual routine of wrestling with each other and running around the coffee table like it was the Indy 500, I was kicked back with the laptop, checking out a few of my favorites websites. That's when I read about that one crazy mutation. According to National Geographic News, dogs like dachshunds, Pekingese, basset hounds, Shih Tzus and corgis (a total of 19 short-legged dog breeds in all) have stumpy little legs because they all share a single genetic mutation, which suggest that most short-legged dogs descended from a single stunted ancestor that could have lived as many as 30,000 years ago - long before humans started breeding dogs for their physical traits.
That means that a long, long time ago, a wolf was born with crazy short legs. He/she later had puppies who also had crazy short legs and so on, and so on, until humans got involved and used those short legs to their advantage in regards to breeding. 
As I sit here and watch my "vertically challenged" brothers run around I pause and think, "Wow. If it hadn't been for a single mutant gene, my brothers would be the same size as me. Thank you mutant gene!" 
Tinkerbell
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15 comments:
Wow Tinkerbell... it only took one itsy bitsy gene for you to tower over your canine siblings!
Khool post but of khourse I'm drawn to that wolfie pikh!
Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra
I protest... and I don't know where to start... crazy short legs, stumpy, genetic mutation, stunted ancestor, vertically challenged.
You've just hurled about a half dozen insults to short dogs everywhere. As Khrya would say... Pffffft
Ah Tank. Don't pull a little-man-syndrome on me. I love my little dudes just glad they're not as big as I am.
Tink
Thank DoG for the mutant gene! How horrible would the world be without us short legged dogs?
Snuggles,
Twix
Thank goodness for that mutant gene!
Benny & Lily
It would be really boring if we were all long leggity things. (And has anyone checked to see if Tank's last name is actually Bonaparte? *grin*)
*kissey face*
-Fiona
Wow, mutants, they're like the X-Men or something!
We mutants over here in Scotland manage to run around just fine - our problem is reaching food in high up places - oh to have long legs!!!
love
Martha & Bailey sss
I always wondered how those doggies got the short leggies. Momma says something about the short wolf having "easy access."
Slobbers,
Mango
one gene huh? on guam, "low ride" vehicles are popular with the young studly guys. so we would call the short legged doggies "Low Riders."
Whew...you lucked out Tinkerbell...or did you??? Hmmmmmmmm
Smileys!
Dory
Very interesting. I wonder how many mutant genes my brother Arrow has... the giant ear gene? The random pee gene?
That is so interesting!
Mango is too funny!
;) a mutant gene cused all that wow
Woodrow - Sweetie - MJ
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