Comments on: In which I set up a collaboration between a biologist, a farmer and a chimeric chicken

By: Noe Luers

Noe Luers — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 08:29:02 +0000

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By: IanH

IanH — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 12:11:30 +0000

This is really interesting (as well as great to see as a collaboration). I was discussing mosaicism with my class the other day and will use this case to explain it a little further. Hmm.

One of the possible explanations given for this chicken is that two normal embryos fused. Would it be reasonably accurate to say that this kind of mosaicism is the extreme variant of conjoined twins (or vice versa)?

By: Ed Yong

Ed Yong — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 11:35:39 +0000

Paul Sanders has just emailed me to say that the chicken’s just laid an egg! That’s really not meant to happen.

By: Monika

Monika — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 16:13:07 +0000

Ah… I’m really envious, you have such a wonderful opportunity to watch such a fascinating animal grow up.
From what I learned from the paper those gynandromophs come in 3 internal sexual variants, I think it might be most likely an internal male. Where you able to look into its cloaka and sex it?

I’m suffering from severe research itch… oh well…

By: Paul Sanders

Paul Sanders — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 20:05:29 +0000

I have been taking note of its behavior. So far, it behaves as a cockerel. Aggressive and challenging its brooder mates. Its comb is also reddening. It is a “bearded” variety of chicken so it will lack wattles for size comparison.

By: Monika

Monika — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 18:16:30 +0000

Great story that’s resulting in some very happy scientists (you really can read that in the emails from Dr. Clinton) and a just as happy farmer! I really look forward to see the results of this wonderful collaboration.
My own research interest would be behavioural, I’d wonder whether it behaves more like male or female chicken or no sex related behaviour. Alas I’m not in the field anymore, but I can’t help being curious about these topics.

By: Eva

Eva — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 12:41:54 +0000

I’ve left you an e-mail as well, but would like to know if I could use (part of) the above chicken image in a blog post about this story. (Image would be credited to Paul and linked back here.) Let me know, so I can hit “publish” =)

By: Bishnu Marasini

Bishnu Marasini — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 05:39:06 +0000

I wonder how the level of hormones/signaling molecules secreted by male/female cells in a single body been maintained for 50/50 separated tissue rather then mixed tissue structure.

By: Neuro-conservative

Neuro-conservative — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 03:00:56 +0000

But, but, your writing is so...insularized. You need to be more ambitious, be a doer. Then you would really accomplish something, not just this theoretical chit-chat! :-p [Ha! For other readers, see here for the background - Ed]

By: Coturnix

Coturnix — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 17:53:19 +0000

Getting scalped by other birds – this means, very literally, that this bird is on the bottom of the pecking order. Looking odd does not seem to go well with other chickens.

Though the feather color/pattern resembles Coturnix quail, I doubt this is a hybrid between the two species – chickens can be speckled in just the same way.

The Roslin bird group is excellent and I hope they put together some funds to get this done – what an awesome opportunity, and all because Ed can write!