December 6th, 2011 at 1:35PM
nationalgeographicdaily: Taming the WildNovosibirsk, RussiaPhoto: Vincent J. Musi This brown rat’s angry display at the photographer reflects 73 generations of breeding for hostility to humans. Scientists at Novosibirsk and in Germany are comparing the aggressive rat genome to that of rats selected for friendliness, attempting to untangle connections between DNA and behavior. “It looks like a prison cell with a bunch of mad prisoners, ready to lash out at each other, which is basically what these rats are doing. And the whole frame, the way it moves from not just the aggressive rat but to how the other rats are reacting to him, is a moment that is absolutely unforgettable.”—Chris Johns, Editor in Chief

nationalgeographicdaily:

Taming the Wild
Novosibirsk, Russia
Photo: Vincent J. Musi

This brown rat’s angry display at the photographer reflects 73 generations of breeding for hostility to humans. Scientists at Novosibirsk and in Germany are comparing the aggressive rat genome to that of rats selected for friendliness, attempting to untangle connections between DNA and behavior.

“It looks like a prison cell with a bunch of mad prisoners, ready to lash out at each other, which is basically what these rats are doing. And the whole frame, the way it moves from not just the aggressive rat but to how the other rats are reacting to him, is a moment that is absolutely unforgettable.”
—Chris Johns, Editor in Chief

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    this is just evil. poor rat babbies
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