Re-Evolving the Chicken

[BillT]

Similar to experiments last century in breeding foxes for domestication by selecting for lack of fear, someone is doing the same thing with chickens and watching what happens to various traits.

http://news.sciencemag.org/evolution/2015/09/here-s-what-happens-when-you-rewind-clock-chicken-domestication

I would argue something similar could be happening with highly bred fish lines.

[Mugwump]

Similar to experiments last century in breeding foxes for domestication by selecting for lack of fear, someone is doing the same thing with chickens and watching what happens to various traits.

http://news.sciencemag.org/evolution/2015/09/here-s-what-happens-when-you-rewind-clock-chicken-domestication

I would argue something similar could be happening with highly bred fish lines.

Of course it is happening with tank raised species....

[wsantia1]

Similar to experiments last century in breeding foxes for domestication by selecting for lack of fear, someone is doing the same thing with chickens and watching what happens to various traits.

http://news.sciencemag.org/evolution/2015/09/here-s-what-happens-when-you-rewind-clock-chicken-domestication

I would argue something similar could be happening with highly bred fish lines.

Of course it is happening with tank raised species....

Very interesting read.  I agree that it is happening with tank raised fish. Look at the fancy Goldfish and Betta Splendens. If returned to the wild in only takes them a few generations to look like common carp and wild bettas again.

[BillT]

If a lack of serotonin causes a loss of fear, then it makes sense to me that they should grow faster, larger and have larger eggs.

This sequence is supported by aquacultural research:

A lack of fear should reduce stress.
Aquaculture studies have shown elevated stress levels are compensated for by using more nutritional energy.
This would take away from energy for growth.
A smaller fish makes smaller eggs.