To understand how [dinosaurs] changed into [birds], a team has been tampering with the molecular processes that make up a beak in chickens.
By doing so, they have managed to create a chicken embryo with a dinosaur-like snout and palate, similar to that of small feathered dinosaurs like Velociraptor. The results are published in the journal Evolution.
(Via @RobinDLaws)
No word whether or not the results included the lead researchers cackling like madmen and shouting “They laughed at me, the fools!! ME!!!! Well, we’ll see who laughs last!!!!!” I kind of hope that the results did include that. If you’re going to go out and create Abominations of Science, go for all the gusto that you can.
Moe Lane
PS: No, I’m not worried about toothy dinosaurs that are the size of chickens. I’m not even worried about toothy dinosaurs that are the size of T-Rexes. I save my worry for genetically engineered critters that cannot be countered by a judicious directed use of kinetic energy.
Actually, this sounds kinda interesting.
What had me worried were those idiots that wanted to make rats smarter.