Disappointment about Flumo: Rare dries only an ordinary sheep!

Disappointment about Flumo: Rare dries only an ordinary sheep!

In the small community of Glücksburg on the Flensburg Fjord, the excitement was great when a young animal was born in mid -August, which for many aroused hope for a rare phenomenon: a wrap. But the joy did not last long, because the DNA analysis brought an unexpected result: it is an ordinary sheep. This information comes from Clemens Falker-Gieske, a livestock researcher from the University of Göttingen, who confirmed the incident of the German Press Agency. The disappointment is tangible. "We had hoped to be able to examine a new bowl hybrid with Flumo," he said. But now the researchers have nothing more than the realization that Flumo is a sheep.

sheep and goats are closely related and belong to the same biological subfamily of the goat -like, but they differ in the number of their chromosomes: goats have 60, but sheep only 54. This difference makes crossings of the two species extremely difficult. About a decade ago, a similar mixing system already caused a stir in Germany, but since then there has been no further case since then. The researchers in Göttingen had hoped for Flumo to extensively deepen the knowledge from the first bowel case.

science behind the phenomenon

The scientists had expected more from Flumo. Falker-Gieske explained that research into hybrids such as the writings was not only new and exciting, but could also provide valuable knowledge about genetic processes and possible diseases. The first case of a cunning had shown that the animal suffered from an autoimmune disease; This knowledge is now to be confirmed with the help of further examples. At least three individuals would be ideal for collecting comprehensive and resilient data. Flumo, the other Bock and the Göttingen goat offered perfect comparison options.

Hope for other bowl hybrids remains unrealized. "We don't know how many such animals may still exist. The number of unreported cases could be higher," said Falker-Gieske. It is currently still unclear whether goats and sheep actually testify to descendants regularly. Research intends to find out whether hybrid formation always results in the same genetic mechanisms or not.

In the middle of these scientific considerations, Flumo still remains a popular animal. The little buck that impresses with brown spots with its white fur was born during the flight mode festival. This also resulted in his name. The farm owner Dag, who is quoted with his first name, is pleased with Flumo's presence despite the disappointment of the result: "He will remain the mascot of the festival." So it should be noted that, despite its identity as a sheep, Flumo takes a special place on the yard and in the hearts of festival goers.

These latest developments show how complex animal genetics is and how important it is to explore rare phenomena. Even if Flumo does not enter the story as a second writer, the entire process will certainly provide interesting impulses for future research projects.