07-12-2008, 05:01 AM
At the risk of straying too far from Rome...
Some evolutionary biologists are now starting to say there almost is no such thing as speciation. Conventionally (as I'm sure you know) animals are considered conspecific if they are able to breed and produce viable offspring. The problem is that, across the dimensions of both space and time, a species' DNA drifts enough that while A may breeed with B, and B breeds with C, A and C cannot breed. The example comes to mind because we see Aurochs sharing significant DNA with modern cattle (and hence Heck cattle), and we know modern cattle can breed with American bison (producing "beefalo"), and American bison are sometimes said to be conspecific with the European wisent. This shows the bos/bison genus as a continuum, similar to the dog/wolf canis/lupis genus.
Biological labels aside, does anyone know if the Heck cattle display any of the aggressive temperament of the aurochs? (Maybe they should breed them with Spanish fighting bulls -- there's a direct descendant of Roman arena bloodsports.) Of course, that's if we really want a very large, powerful, and aggressive animal.
I've neither read Quo Vadis nor seen the movie(s) made from it. Does anyone know if the aurochs scene made it into a movie? If it was well done, I'd buy the DVD just to see that -- not to mention the rest.
Some evolutionary biologists are now starting to say there almost is no such thing as speciation. Conventionally (as I'm sure you know) animals are considered conspecific if they are able to breed and produce viable offspring. The problem is that, across the dimensions of both space and time, a species' DNA drifts enough that while A may breeed with B, and B breeds with C, A and C cannot breed. The example comes to mind because we see Aurochs sharing significant DNA with modern cattle (and hence Heck cattle), and we know modern cattle can breed with American bison (producing "beefalo"), and American bison are sometimes said to be conspecific with the European wisent. This shows the bos/bison genus as a continuum, similar to the dog/wolf canis/lupis genus.
Biological labels aside, does anyone know if the Heck cattle display any of the aggressive temperament of the aurochs? (Maybe they should breed them with Spanish fighting bulls -- there's a direct descendant of Roman arena bloodsports.) Of course, that's if we really want a very large, powerful, and aggressive animal.
I've neither read Quo Vadis nor seen the movie(s) made from it. Does anyone know if the aurochs scene made it into a movie? If it was well done, I'd buy the DVD just to see that -- not to mention the rest.
Wayne Anderson/ Wander
