FARK.com: (6905721) Researchers analyzed DNA remains of 12 thoroughbred stallions born between 1764 and 1930, 330 elite performing modern Thoroughbreds, 40 donkeys and two zebras. And of course Henry the Horse danced the waltz

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		Researchers analyzed DNA remains of 12 thoroughbred stallions born between 1764 and 1930, 330 elite performing modern Thoroughbreds, 40 donkeys and two zebras. And of course Henry the Horse danced the waltz (myfoxdc.com)		26
		More: Interesting, stallions, DNA, waltzes

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3689 clicks; posted to Main » on 27 Jan 2012 at 9:55 AM | Favorite | share:

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26 Comments (+0 »)

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SJKebab

2012-01-27 08:46:13 AM

I presume the band begins at ten to 6?

desertmouse

2012-01-27 09:49:50 AM

Interesting article is interesting, but it fails in not mentioning that breeders already knew the secret: there was a strain of gargantuan monster hearts passed down from a certain mare. From Secretariat's wiki:

A necropsy revealed his heart was significantly larger than that of an ordinary horse.[17] An extremely large heart is a trait that occasionally occurs in Thoroughbreds, linked to a genetic condition passed down via the dam line, known as the "x-factor".[14][18][19][20] The x-factor can be traced to the historic racehorse Eclipse, which was necropsied after his death in 1789. Because Eclipse's heart appeared to be much larger than other horses, it was weighed, and found to be 14 pounds (6.4 kg), almost twice the normal weight. Eclipse is believed to have passed the trait on via his daughters, and pedigree research verified that Secretariat traces in his dam line to a daughter of Eclipse.[17] In the 20th century, the heart of Phar Lap was weighed and also documented to be 6.35 kilograms (14.0 lb),[21] or essentially the same size as that of Eclipse.

At the time of Secretariat's death, the veterinarian who performed the necropsy, Dr. Thomas Swerczek, head pathologist at the University of Kentucky, did not weigh Secretariat's heart, but stated, "We just stood there in stunned silence. We couldn't believe it. The heart was perfect. There were no problems with it. It was just this huge engine."[15] Later, Swerczek also performed a necropsy on Sham, which died in 1993. Swerczek did weigh Sham's heart, and it was 18 pounds (8.2 kg). Based on Sham's measurement, and having necropsied both horses, he estimated Secretariat's heart probably weighed 22 pounds (10.0 kg),[17] or about two-and-three-quarters times as large as that of the average horse.

/read a lot of horsey books as a kid

AverageAmericanGuy

2012-01-27 09:57:44 AM

Do you think Secretariat spent a winter in Whoville?

2wolves

2012-01-27 10:00:06 AM

"Modern variants were traced back to a legendary mare named Nearctic, which lived between 1954-1973. The variant branched out to his son Northern Dancer, which LiveScience reported was the most-bred stallion of modern times."

Did they just have a gender problem there?

BitwiseShift

2012-01-27 10:00:22 AM

Not included in study.

Fabric_Man

2012-01-27 10:02:12 AM

I need an assurance this production will be second to none.

safeforwork

2012-01-27 10:03:08 AM

Modern variants were traced back to a legendary mare named Nearctic, which lived between 1954-1973. The variant branched out to his son Northern Dancer

Wat?

/wonder where the gene for 'bones more likely to explode spectacularly while doing what bred to do' came from
//dang, I've been such a Debbie Downer lately XD

dj_spanmaster

2012-01-27 10:06:08 AM

+1, subby.

Hack Patooey

2012-01-27 10:15:18 AM

Where does Charlie Horse (new window) fit into all this?

dcigary

2012-01-27 10:15:29 AM

Not included in study

1.bp.blogspot.com

Rufus Lee King

2012-01-27 10:17:54 AM

President Raygun

2012-01-27 10:22:25 AM

To produce the unique sound for Henry's waltz (the cacophony in the middle of the song) John bought and had restored an antique steam calliope, studio engineer George Martin played a piece on it, then unspooled the tape it was recorded on, cut it into pieces, scattered it about and spliced it back together. Viola!

Raug the Dwarf

2012-01-27 10:28:07 AM

After being some days in preparation, I'm sure a splendid time is guaranteed for all

office_despot

2012-01-27 10:32:16 AM

Nearctic was a 20th-century stallion.
The mare they are talking about lived 300 years ago.
This article was carelessly edited, so that it makes no sense.

chookbillion

2012-01-27 10:33:48 AM

I was wondering why they didn't name the mare, since such good records have been kept, but then I read about it on the school website, and realized they don't know what mare it was, just that it didn't come from any of the early stallions.
For anyone interested in this stuff, you should check out this website (sorry, don't know how to make it a link):

http://horseracing.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=horse r acing&cdn=sports&tm=117&gps=294_805_1276_631&f=10&su=p504.1.336.ip_&tt =2&bt=0&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.pedigreequery.com/index.php%3Fquery_type %3Dcheck%26search_bar%3D
horse%26h%3Drelaunch%26g%3D5%26inbred%3DStandard%26x2%3Dn

Oh geez, I should learn how to link things. Anyway, you can enter any thorougbred's name and trace its pedigree for 5 generations, and if you click on one of its ancestors you can keep going back all the way to the foundation sires.
It can be quite fascinating.

BronyMedic

2012-01-27 10:45:52 AM

Oh, hi guys.

Are we talking about ponies? \grin

brigid_fitch

2012-01-27 11:17:23 AM

desertmouse: Interesting article is interesting, but it fails in not mentioning that breeders already knew the secret: there was a strain of gargantuan monster hearts passed down from a certain mare. From Secretariat's wiki:

A necropsy revealed his heart was significantly larger than that of an ordinary horse.[17] An extremely large heart is a trait that occasionally occurs in Thoroughbreds, linked to a genetic condition passed down via the dam line, known as the "x-factor".[14][18][19][20] The x-factor can be traced to the historic racehorse Eclipse, which was necropsied after his death in 1789. Because Eclipse's heart appeared to be much larger than other horses, it was weighed, and found to be 14 pounds (6.4 kg), almost twice the normal weight. Eclipse is believed to have passed the trait on via his daughters, and pedigree research verified that Secretariat traces in his dam line to a daughter of Eclipse.[17] In the 20th century, the heart of Phar Lap was weighed and also documented to be 6.35 kilograms (14.0 lb),[21] or essentially the same size as that of Eclipse.

At the time of Secretariat's death, the veterinarian who performed the necropsy, Dr. Thomas Swerczek, head pathologist at the University of Kentucky, did not weigh Secretariat's heart, but stated, "We just stood there in stunned silence. We couldn't believe it. The heart was perfect. There were no problems with it. It was just this huge engine."[15] Later, Swerczek also performed a necropsy on Sham, which died in 1993. Swerczek did weigh Sham's heart, and it was 18 pounds (8.2 kg). Based on Sham's measurement, and having necropsied both horses, he estimated Secretariat's heart probably weighed 22 pounds (10.0 kg),[17] or about two-and-three-quarters times as large as that of the average horse.

/read a lot of horsey books as a kid

Thanks--I recognized Nearctic's name & was trying to remember what trait she had in common w/Secretariat. Couldn't remember the large heart gene, but I remembered it's passed down through the dam line.

brigid_fitch

2012-01-27 11:20:00 AM

brigid_fitch: I recognized Nearctic's name & was trying to remember what trait she had in common w/Secretariat.

FTFM

/Pronoun trouble

LegLamp

2012-01-27 11:36:48 AM

brigid_fitch: Thanks--I recognized Nearctic's name & was trying to remember what trait she had in common w/Secretariat. Couldn't remember the large heart gene, but I remembered it's passed down through the dam line.

Is that what you attach the dam bait to when you're fishing after the dam tour?

Uchiha_Cycliste

2012-01-27 12:18:18 PM

Lord Morton approves

Crazy Talk Al

2012-01-27 12:47:18 PM

BronyMedic: Oh, hi guys.

Are we talking about ponies? \grin

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