Why Pigs Can't Fly

Scientists announced Monday that they successfully decoded the DNA of a domestic pig used in many pork products.  Head of the research consortium, Lawrence Shook is excited about the results because, "The pig, I think, is going to allow us to have some really great opportunities to looking at physiology and behavior and disease relationships that afflict humans much more than any other species that has been sequenced to date."  Other species that have been decoded include, the Woolly Mammoth, dogs, the platypus, cats, the pufferfish, mice, rats, cows, and humans, to name a few.

The scientists also hope to be able to develop an H1N1 vaccine for pigs, who are succeptable to influenza and can catch the virus from people.  Additionally, because native wild pigs still exist, which is rare for several species, researchers hope to look at the results of domestication on swine and at the development of better breeding techniques.

Image: "The Prize Pig" by The Pug Father on flickr, courtesy of Creative Commons.