Do you think this is crazy?

Question

i was watching a show on discovery channel, and they were talking about how they can extend a chicken's tail length before it was born? somehow scientist figured out that some reptiles back in the prehistoric time that birds today are related to flying reptiles(dinosaurs). its pretty weird i don't know what the show was called but all i know that it was from discovery channel....

Answer 1

No, it does make sense if you know a little about genetics. In many cases animals have genes for certain features that are left in their DNA from their evolutionary ancestors but are no longer expressed. Humans, for example, still have the genes for making tails, but they are no longer active. Occasionally these genes can reactivate, producing "throwbacks" like vestigial tails in humans, hind legs or fins on dolphins and whales, and so on - these are called "atavisms". If a geneticist understands which genes do what and can reactivate them in an embryo, these atavistic traits can be generated.

Answer 2

By expressing certain genes you can cause a hen to have reptilian like teeth. This shows that the beak is a more recent adaptation.

Answer 3

I agree with tigersta... but there is one other thing that was NOT mentioned by him those things that are in the DNA are not PROVED to be just from the ANCESTORS lets look at the so called "Darwin finches" he (Darwin) found these finches that have different shaped beaks some for pecking some for cracking nuts some for fruit and so on Darwin lined these beaks up and it look like an Adaptation or "micro evolution" but really it was not all of those beaks are all ready in the DNA the same goes with everything else that is "evolutionary".... this in its self has disproved evolution scientist are now coming up with a different theory for things.... so to answer the question its really not that crazy they are just choosing what genes they want to show up in the animal