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Domesticated animals’ juvenile appearance tied to embryonic cells

Mild defects in early development could explain physical similarities across species

BABY FACE  Domesticated animals share many physical characteristics including white spots and floppy ears. Scientists propose that tameness and the appearance of domesticated species may be linked to defects in multitasking cells in the early embryo.

Ruth Ellison/Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

By Tina Hesman Saey

- More than 2 years ago

A group of traits common among domesticated animals may arise when a wandering group of multitasking embryonic cells lose their way, a new theory of domestication proposes.