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Originally Posted by Chief16
I would disagree. I found a paper from 1968 that states "the premature maturation of growth in regenerating antlers was achieved by administering sex hormones (testosterone)" and that "estradiol benzoate was even more affective in promoting precocious maturation of growing antlers". Link to the paper is below.
People on this page are so quick to jump on agriculture for all of these scary hormones "and who knows what else" when they really have no idea.
This is just a result of genetic selection for big antlered animals. It is the same as saying that a pomeranian came from a wolf do to hormones, antibiotics etc. when really it was just breeding for desired traits.
https://www.nature.com/articles/220083a0 |
That type of antler growth may be eventually achievable through genetic selection but the process would be painfully slow if done strictly through selective breeding. That said an individual specimen's head gear can certainly be enhanced through modern pharmaceuticals and genetic manipulation. I suspect this particular deer is likely a combination of several approaches.
At any rate the deer is freak by man's hand,,,, not a freak of nature!!!