Kosmo

Indeed, I think it's probably a moot point as to whether or not there is a 'survival' advantage to this behavior. In the past such goats have been bread (is that the past tense of breed?) and sold specifically for this characteristic.

Having a few cheap goats around that will unwittingly offer themselves up to a predator is an effective means of protecting more valuable livestock.

FatherMithras

And let's not forget that when they got this mutation, they got to breed regardless. Domestic animals rarely have trouble reproducing.

JPD

I love it. If a creationist turns around and says "Well now, that doesn't seem to make much sense from an evolutionary perspective does it now?" the response would be

"So God did it?"
"Yes"
"Wow. What an idiot!"

or

"So God did it?"
"It is a result of the fall of Adam"
"Are the goats performing it in sympathy then?"

With those crazy crazy eyes
Their destiny unfolds
As beneath the sealant in the shower
You find all kinds of moulds

Admiral Valdemar

My genetics professor stated that these goats have simply a genetic defect that has not been selected against by predation since they were always in captivity via farming and the gene was never bred out. How it would be a survival trait, I don't know. Playing dead just means the predator has an easier meal, not that it will go "Oh, it's dead meat, best leave it alone".

Worldtraveller

Yeah, this is probably a side-effect (or whatever the proper biological term is) of selective breeding for other traits.

You'll have to google it, but there is a great article on the captive breeding of foxes in russia that took place over the course of something like 60+ years. The only trait they were breeding for was temperament. They selectively bred the foxes solely for their docile behavior around humans. How willing they were to allow humans interact with them, etc.

After a number of generations, the 'domesticated' foxes started exhibiting many physical characteristics of what we see in dometic dogs: variations in coat coloration, floppy ears, curly tails, etc. These traits weren't gained with any kind of consistancy (they didn't all have curly tails, for instance), but the 'domestic fox' was beginning to vary, much like our modern dogs, into various dimorphic (polymorphic?) breeds.

It's really a quite fascinating read.

Cheers,
Lane

doghouse

Fainting goats have a mutation in a gene that encodes a chloride channel in muscle. Affected goats are unable to relax their muscles normally after voluntary contractions (myotonia). A similar mutation occurs in people (Thomsen disease), dogs, mice and I suspect other animals.

This defect occurred spontaneously in a line of goats and was perpetuated by breeders who selected for this trait because it seemed unique. This is similar to dachshund breeders selecting for chodrodystophy or Chinese crested dog breeders selecting for a hairless gene.

Don’t mistake animal breeders selecting for a defect with that defect having a survival advantage in wild animals.

iLoveKnowledge

Damn was that fun to watch!

JPD

Great information - thanks for posting it.

Major Billy

This might explain:

Hydra009

Right. My mistake.