Cows and Darwinism

[Rain Man]

It seems to me like, in the long term, one of two things is going to happen to cows and pigs and other livestock animals.

First is the human-inspired option. People breed cows and pigs and chickens and stuff to be particularly tasty. It would seem that this active breeding would eventually produce cows that are already segmented into hamburger patties and stuff, maybe with perforations to make it easy to remove steaks and ribs and stuff.

Second is the natural selection option. Livestock animals are killed by the millions by humans. It seems that at some point they'll spontaneously evolve to tasting like urine or something, so humans will stop eating them. The ones who taste less good will figure out how to pass their genes along, and one day BAM! they'll hit critical mass and in the course of a year or two all beef will taste like urine and we won't be able to eat cows any more.

Which do you think is more likely?

[Shag]

I, for one, welcome our new bovine overlords...

[milkman]

I suspect it's more lilkely that as time passes, they'll evolve into Roaseanne and Rosie O'Donnell look-alikes and no one will want to eat them.

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Shag

I, for one, welcome our new bovine overlords...

Good point. They have a lot of time to plot and plan out in those fields. We shouldn't let the big eyes and cud-chewing fool us.

[JuicesFlowing]

But sausage will always taste good, right?

[orange]

Neither of your options will occur. Evolution plays no role in domestic animals because natural selection is short-circuited by human intervention. The urine-flavored cattle would never be allowed to reproduce. Your first option is comical - but surprisingly close to the reality of the future. We will be eating pre-formed patties etc., but they will come from a vat, not a living animal.

I chose "Soylent green is people" in your poll because that more closely represents what will be the inevitable result - synthetic food for the masses, extremely rare real meat for the very rich.

[Groves]

Maybe they go all "earthworm" on us and we can just snatch a ribeye or two and they grow em back by Monday. A never ending supply of beef.

Next up: Forever Bacon.

[Mr. Laz]

rainman is more than a little strange

[Lonewolf Ed]

I've always wondered why Evolution gives a damn one way or the other.

[Mr. Flopnuts]

There is a 3rd option, and critical mass has already began. Cows have "evolved" and there is a protein that they carry that transfers itself to those who consume it. Essentially, over the years as people have eaten more and more cow, they have come to look more and more like a cow. I'd say that in no less than 2 decades cows will be able to out run us and therefore not have to worry about us eating them anymore. ****in mainstream media, they never talk about the shit that really matters...........

[blueballs]

it's already at work
I think it's call Hindu

[Jenson71]

Most beef cattle used to be fed simply by grazing in fields, which allowed them to be pretty lean and a lot more healthy to eat.

I think more cattle are put into smaller areas of farmland, with little room to roam and less grass to eat. So farmers are giving them more corn-based feed, which definitely affects our own diets, of course, in a less healthy way.

So, in a sense, they are being forced to evolve in this case. And not many people or animals are benefiting.