DNA isn’t just the blueprint of life—it’s also nature’s playground for experimentation. From goats that produce spider silk in their milk to humans who feel no pain, the world is full of astonishing genetic mutations that defy expectations. In this list, we dive into 50 of the most bizarre, fascinating, and unexpected DNA twists ever discovered—mutations that shaped evolution, created superpowers, and sometimes made life downright strange. These aren’t science fiction. They’re real quirks of biology that prove just how weird—and wonderful—life can be when DNA goes off script.
1 East Asian Traits Gene Mutation
Approximately 35,000 years ago, a gene mutation led to distinct East Asian physical traits such as thicker hair, more sweat glands, unique teeth, and smaller breasts. While Africans and Europeans typically carry the ancestral version of this gene, most East Asians have a mutated DNA unit.
2. In 2014, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh discovered a gene mutation responsible for Short Sleeper Syndrome. Individuals with this mutation function normally on less than six hours of sleep without needing recovery time. This mutation, when introduced to mice, produced similar effects.
3. Dogs began diverging from wolves due to random genetic mutations that improved some wolves’ ability to digest starches and fats. These wolves followed nomadic humans, consuming leftover food, which led to the evolutionary split.
4. A study revealed that 25% of Labrador retrievers and 66% of flat-coated retrievers carry a genetic mutation linked to weight gain. Dogs with this gene experience constant hunger while burning fewer calories, making Labradors the most obese among dog breeds.
5. Jo Cameron, a retired teacher from the Scottish Highlands, has congenital insensitivity to pain-believed to stem from rare mutations in the FAAH and FAAH OUT genes-which causes elevated levels of endocannabinoids like anandamide, reducing her ability to feel both pain and anxiety. Despite numerous surgeries, burns, fractures, and even childbirth throughout her life, she has never required painkillers.
6 Golden Spruce’s Unique Mutation
The Golden Spruce, a 300-year-old, 170-foot-tall Sitka spruce, had a rare genetic mutation that turned its needles golden. Forest engineer Grant Hadwin cut down this tree, sacred to the Haida people of British Columbia, in protest against the logging industry.
7. The “friendliness” gene mutation that differentiates dogs from wolves causes Williams syndrome in humans, which is characterized by hypersociability and reduced intelligence.
8. Elephants rarely develop cancer due to extra copies of two cancer-fighting genes: P53, which identifies cells with miscopied DNA, and LIF6, which destroys mutated cells before they can form tumors.
9. One in 18 people has a third nipple, a condition known as polythelia, caused by a mutation in inactive genes.
10. All early humans were lactose intolerant after infancy. Around 10,000 BC, a single individual passed on a mutation that spread rapidly, enabling humans to digest lactose throughout life and leading to widespread dairy consumption.
11 Flavorless American Tomatoes Mutation
Most commercial American tomato varieties have a mutation in the SlGLK2 gene that makes them all red but also affects their development, leading to less sugar and flavor inside the fruit. As a result, breeders inadvertently traded sweetness and aroma for visual uniformity, causing many supermarket tomatoes to taste bland.
12. On Pingelap Atoll in Micronesia, roughly 10% of residents suffer from complete achromatopsia (total color blindness)-while about 30% are asymptomatic carriers of the same autosomal recessive gene-far exceeding the global prevalence of about 1 in 30,000. A catastrophic typhoon in 1775 reduced the population to just around 20 survivors, one of whom carried the rare gene, triggering a founder effect that amplified its frequency over generations.
13. A single amino acid mutation in the ADH4 gene emerged approximately 10 million years ago in the last common ancestor of humans, chimpanzees, and gorillas-boosting their ability to metabolize ethanol by about 40 fold and enabling consumption of fermenting fruit without intoxication. As consuming rotten fruit that had fermented into alcohol could impair one’s ability to forage or defend territory, this mutation was likely favored by natural selection during the transition to a more terrestrial, ground foraging lifestyle.
14. Stephen “Steve” Crohn, an American from New York City, carried a homozygous CCR5 ?32 deletion mutation on his CD4? T cells, which blocked most HIV strains from entering his immune cells and conferred near complete resistance to infection. Tragically, after witnessing well over 70 friends succumb to AIDS, he died by suicide at age 66 in August 2013, reportedly struggling with survivor guilt despite having avoided the disease himself.
15. Polydactyly is a common genetic condition-often caused by mutations in genes like GLI3 or SHH-that results in extra fingers or toes and affects about 1 in every 500 to 1,000 newborns worldwide.
16 Kenny Gene’s Fatal Fruit Fly Mutation
A mutated gene in fruit flies, named “Kenny,” causes them to die within two days when infected by certain bacteria. It was humorously named after Kenny McCormick from “South Park,” who frequently dies in the show.
17. The UK’s pedigree cat registry bans Scottish Fold cats because the genetic mutation causing their distinctive folded ears also leads to distorted limb bones and severe arthritis.
18. Multicellular fungi can direct their nuclei to areas encountering unfamiliar substances-like plastic or radiation-where they rapidly generate mutations to try breaking them down. This remarkable form of genetic “brute-force” adaptation allows fungi to evolve responses in real time.
19. About half the human population carries a mutated gene that prevents tasting the bitter chemical in Brussels sprouts. Those without this gene can taste the chemical, often leading to a dislike for the vegetable.
20. Between 3% and 21% of people have a genetic variation in the OR6A2 olfactory receptor gene, making cilantro taste unpleasant. They describe it as tasting like “soap and vomit” or resembling stinkbug odor.
15 Most Controversial & Costly Blunders in History
21 Humans Evolving in Tibet
Humans are still evolving-genes like HAR1, vital for brain development, have changed rapidly compared to other species. In Tibetans, a fast-spreading EPAS1 gene mutation boosts blood oxygen levels, aiding survival at high altitudes.
22. Jeremy was a rare “lefty” snail whose shell coiled counterclockwise due to a genetic mutation, making it anatomically incompatible with typical snails for mating. Scientists eventually found two other left-coiling snails, and while Jeremy did mate, his offspring only inherited the typical right-coiling trait.
23. Some non-redheaded men have red beards because they possess only one copy of the MC1R gene. If they had two copies, they would be full redheads.
24. Wild almonds contain dangerous levels of cyanide due to high amygdalin content, making them bitter and toxic. A natural genetic mutation thousands of years ago reduced amygdalin, giving rise to the sweet, edible almonds we eat today.
25. Distichiasis is a rare genetic disorder that causes a double row of eyelashes, often due to a mutation in the FOXC2 gene. While striking in appearance-as seen in Elizabeth Taylor-this mutation can also increase the risk of heart problems like lymphedema-distichiasis syndrome.
RE: Fact #1 (East Asian Traits Gene Mutation) – And less smelly ear wax, plus less body odor.
When I first went to Europe, wow, the smell was something else. East Asians have good genes when it comes to that.
Folks from Europe visiting Asia also mention noticing different body smells from Asians. Turns out, what you eat is the main reason for those variations in body odor. You probably don’t even pick up on the smell of people who eat the same things you do – you’ll likely smell pretty similar. But if you’re around someone with a really different diet, you’ll definitely notice it because their smell is so different.
I guess it could be diet. When I first went to India, I noticed a strong smell from the Indian people. But after three months of eating their food, I didn’t notice it anymore. Funny thing is, after that, I started noticing that Europeans smelled a bit like meat that wasn’t quite fresh.
Seriously? You’re telling me the stuff that comes out of my ears is supposed to be wet?
Yeah, its whole deal is to snag bacteria and gunk.
That only does the trick if it’s all gunky and gross.
RE: Fact #8 (Elephants’ Cancer Resistance Genes) – That’s pretty cool. But P53 doesn’t really “hunt” for tumors. It’s a tumor suppressor because it plays a key role in keeping cell cycles in check. One of the ways it does this is by being a transcription factor, which means it helps control how other genes work. A lot of these genes are involved in promoting tumors, like EGFR and VEGF. However, it gets even more complex because some medications actually reduce P53 levels but still fight tumors through different routes, such as by affecting calcium signaling, which influences how cells move around and spread.
Basically: P53 isn’t a hunter. That’s more like what immune cells do, like T-cells, B-cells, and macrophages.
So, loads of folks like to rag on factrepublic, whether they’re serious or just joking, but I hopped on about a year ago and I’m still blown away by all the cool stuff I pick up, like what you just shared. Facebook, Twitter, Insta, TikTok – none of those other giants have this. Big thanks for that and for letting me share this. I’m sure I’ll get some thumbs-down or a snarky reply soon enough to remind me I’m still swimming in the social media muck.
RE: Fact #7 (Dog-Human Friendliness Gene Link) – One of friend’s sister has it and they described her as “basically a golden retriever that can text,” which honestly sounded like a really cool addition to the family.
That description really stuck with me; I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.
They also have a bit of elvish features, and that folks is why Williams syndrome might be where that myth comes from.
So, Santa’s got these super friendly, differently-abled helpers who whip up toys for kids. Got it.
RE: Fact #40 (Geneticist’s Innovative Spider-Goats) – Spidergoat, spidergoat. Does all the things a spidergoat does. Can he swing from a web? Nope, he’s a goat. Heads up, here comes Spidergoat!
RE: Fact #43 (Grasshopper Mice vs. Scorpions) – So, get this: I remember seeing this thing on the Sci Channel’s YouTube channel about animals getting high. Apparently, some birds stir up ants on purpose. The idea is that the ants bite them, and whatever the ants inject is like a pain reliever for the birds. Some birds even seem hooked on it, spending all day chasing ants and totally forgetting about eating, building nests, or even finding a mate.
But hey, I’m not totally sure about all that, my memory’s a bit fuzzy on the specifics.
RE: Fact #12 (Pinglelap’s Unique Colorblindness Rate) – They call it maskun. When I was teaching over on Pohnpei, I had a bunch of folks from Pinglap in my class, and the ones with maskun? They’d always be squinting or rocking sunglasses, even when the sun went down, their eyes would just open wide.
Oliver Sacks even wrote some really cool books about people with it. And get this, there are even artists with maskun who create art and crafts that are all in shades of gray. You can only really appreciate their work if you have the condition yourself.
RE: Fact #20 (Cilantro’s Polarizing Genetic Variation) – So, there are a bunch of these sorts of things. Like bell peppers, apparently, but way fewer folks react to them.
For those people, bell peppers taste like dirt, too.
I’m curious if the cilantro thing hits differently in various groups because Phoseems to be about 50% into cilantro, which is why it’s awesome for me.
Some folks find grapefruit super bitter because of a gene thing.
I figured grapefruit would be sour and they just called it ‘Grapefruit’ as a joke.
OMG, so that’s why I couldn’t stand pho! I always knew I disliked cilantro, but I had no idea it was even in pho. It all clicks now.
Beets totally taste and smell like dirt to me. I can’t deal with ’em. Every Thanksgiving my step-dad would whip up boiled beets, and I swear he was the only one who actually ate them. They made the whole house reek.
RE: Fact #8 (Elephants’ Cancer Resistance Genes) – Hey, I’m a biology student, and I’ve got a couple of points to add:
– Elephants basically never get cancer. Seriously, humans have been keeping them as pets and helpers for ages, and we’ve never seen one kick the bucket from cancer. They’ve got like 40-50 copies of this P53 gene, so it’s pretty much impossible for all of them to mess up.
It’s a bummer, but it’s probably not realistic to use this to stop cancers. We can’t just go around adding extra gene copies into our DNA and expect our bodies to be cool with it.
Still, it’s super interesting! I love how this simple yet clever solution helps elephants deal with cancer, which a big animal like that would normally struggle with. EDIT: This is about Kurtzgesagt’s video on megafauna lifespan, but specifically focusing on blue whales.
RE: Fact #3 (Dog-Wolf Genetic Divergence) – Huh, I always figured dogs became omnivores and wolves stayed carnivores because dogs were domesticated, but turns out, domestication actually caused that change.
Even wild wolves aren’t strictly meat-eaters; they can totally chow down on stuff like berries and fruit if they’re not finding any meat.
When wolves leave their birth pack to start their own, they’re pretty vulnerable. They end up scavenging a lot because they’re usually pack hunters, but they’re on their own for a bit while heading to a new area.
It makes sense evolutionarily that they’d adapt to eat more kinds of food during this scavenging phase. One big idea is that desperate wolves might scavenge from human settlements if no people are around after they develop this ability, and this, in turn, creates a new evolutionary pressure.
Eventually, you’ve got wolves happily munching on our trash, totally unfazed even if we make weird noises trying to scare them off. We’re left scratching our heads, and their pack starts tagging along. We begin to see how handy they are, especially since one of their parents was likely selected for, both biologically and through behavior, to recognize this food source and pass that knowledge down to the pups.
Then comes a phase where they might be hunting sometimes and rummaging through our garbage if the hunt isn’t successful. After that, we both realize we’re pretty good at hunting together and start sharing the bounty. Wolves are super social creatures, and once we started hunting as a team, they probably just saw us as part of their pack. Some evidence from Stonehenge suggests this mutual acceptance might have gone both ways to some extent.
And then there are those weird cave paintings. Wolves and humans are pretty rare subjects in cave art, which has sparked a lot of theories. The most popular ones are that the paintings were for teaching kids, and since kids already knew about humans and wolves, they were already family, so they didn’t need to be depicted. Another idea is that it was taboo to paint humans because of superstitions about capturing souls, and since wolves are practically human, they were left out too. The discovery of wolf tracks right next to human child tracks in a cave, dating back tens of thousands of years, supports both ideas in a way, especially since there are no other animal tracks. The human child was even carrying a torch and was alone.
This brings us to a phase sort of like the dingoes you see in Australia. Dingos sometimes hunt with Indigenous people but often go off on their own to join other human-canid groups or wild dingo packs.
From there, it’s just a short leap to us controlling their breeding, and they stop leaving our pack. That’s basically how we get dogs. But there were a lot of steps before that.
And now they’ve got corgis. I keep reminding mine she’s related to wolves, guess that’s why she’s so into squeaky toys that sound like they’re begging for it.
RE: Fact #4 (Retriever Weight Gain Mutation) – Man, I feel for them. Always being hungry has gotta be rough.
I had a lab for two years, and honestly, I felt pretty bad for him. The poor guy was always starving. Seriously, whenever I grabbed a snack, he’d be right there, looking hopeful. It was kind of annoying, but mostly just sad.
RE: Fact #44 (Silent Flight of Owls) – Catching sight of an owl flying is something else, seriously. They can be right up close and you wouldn’t even hear them. It’s even wilder when you think about how massive some owls’ wings are.
Basically, there are three kinds of raptors: the stealthy ones, the agile ones, and the speedy ones. Each one is awesome in its own way.
RE: Fact #2 (Short Sleeper Syndrome Discovery) – If this sounds like you, but you haven’t seen a doctor about it, it’s likely not you. You’re just trying to make it seem okay that you’re not sleeping because of anxiety, stress, or depression.
Before I hit 40, I used to be able to deal with this.
But after 40? Nope, not a chance.
Honestly, all those jobs I had from 18 to 40 just broke me in. Now I’m out of shape, getting older, and I really need my sleep.
I used to crush it on just 6 hours, totally thought that was my sweet spot for sleep. Now, at 43, I’ve been needing more and more shut-eye over the past year. I’ve even started napping, which I used to be completely against.
RE: Fact #7 (Dog-Human Friendliness Gene Link) – My goofy lab is definitely not as smart as a wolf, I swear.
My Jack Russell is about as bright as a doorknob, and we’ve had to basically banish it from the house ’cause it’s just too mean to be around people or other pets.
It’s kind of funny, but Jack Russells are actually thought to be super smart dogs.
When it comes to figuring things out on their own, dogs usually don’t do as well as wolves. But they really shine when it comes to working together with people. That super social nature lets them understand us way better than most other animals can.
Wolf thinking: “Hmm, maybe I’ll pull it, then climb, or perhaps pull it, climb, pull it again, and then jump?”
Dog thinking: “Haha, no clue, I’ll just bark at the human until they show me how to get it.”
RE: Fact #11 (Flavorless American Tomatoes Mutation) – So there’s actually a good reason to get heirloom tomatoes.
So, the wife and I were up in northern New Jersey back in September visiting family. We hit up the local farmers market and they had these amazing heirloom tomatoes. They were this deep, blood red color, like the size of a heart, and all bumpy and weird-looking. Seriously, ugly as sin.
But man, were they tasty.
And the best part? They were picked and brought over maybe thirty feet from where they grew to the table they were selling them from. So they were perfectly ripe, not picked green just so they could be shipped.
Yeah, totally go for heirloom, local stuff whenever you can.
Or just grow your own
Slap that stuff on toast with a little salt. Wicked!
So, maybe this is why people don’t get it when I tell them I can live on tomato sandwiches. Seriously, that stuff is the bomb. Mayo, salt, pepper, and tomato. Bam!
Seriously, I work at this place that’s like a farmers market grocery store. I just started helping out in the produce section. I saw one of those crazy, mutated-looking things and just had to give it a go. I’m never going back to regular tomatoes after this.
RE: Fact #23 (Red Beards Without Red Hair) – So, I’m half Chinese and half Scottish, with dark hair and this big, bushy ginger beard. It looks pretty awesome when the sun hits it.
RE: Fact #32 (Mutation Boosted Human Intelligence) – So, aren’t all those biological traits just from stuff happening randomly?
RE: Fact #10 (Lactose Tolerance Mutation Spread) – Bummer for me, my genes missed that memo about the mutation.
As a Scandinavian with awesome genes, I feel a little bad for you. Milk is the best.
Don’t sweat it. This TIL fact isn’t quite on the money. Most people actually have some degree of lactose intolerance. Only about 35% of folks can actually digest lactose without issues. So don’t stress, you’re totally normal!
RE: Fact #9 (Polythelia: Third Nipple Mutation) – I’ve got one too, looks kinda like a birthmark. I’ve never actually met anyone with one, though, which is pretty wild considering how common they are.
RE: Fact #16 (Kenny Gene’s Fatal Fruit Fly Mutation) – Plenty of other cool fruit fly gene names out there too:
Ken/Barbie – basically born without private parts
Tinman – you know, like the Wizard of Oz, no heart
cheap date – can’t hold their liquor at all
RE: Fact #17 (Scottish Fold Cats’ Health Risks) – They can only breed with their own kind. They got kicked out of pedigree circles because they’re basically required to be “mutts.” That’s why I can’t stand pedigree stuff. So many pedigree breeds come with some kind of built-in health problem or other.
The article totally covers that.
A lot of people who are really into Scottish Folds reckon that good breeders never cross them with each other. Instead, they mix them with American Shorthairs or British Shorthairs.
They reckon this cuts down the chances of them being born with health issues.
“Nope, that’s not how it works,” says Ms. Ravetz from the British Veterinary Association.
“Any cat with those folded ears is going to have the same genetic glitch.
“While the chances of them getting sick and how bad it is can vary, they’ll all have some level of a lifelong, painful condition that can’t be cured. We shouldn’t be breeding pets that are prone to these kinds of problems.”
RE: Fact #5 (Jo Cameron’s Pain-Free Mutation) – So, I saw something about this – apparently, there are also these twin sisters down in Australia who have it. My memory’s a little fuzzy, but I think when they were little, they used to chew on their tongues a bunch ’cause it didn’t even faze them.
I remember a little guy I had in daycare who had this same thing.
When he didn’t get his way, he’d just throw himself backward onto the floor, headfirst. It wouldn’t hurt him, but man, it sure freaked us out! Eventually, we got him a soft helmet to keep him from hurting himself, and we learned to just chill instead of gasping every time he did it.
Just wanted to add, we totally tried to help him manage it better. We’d remind him to use his words when he was frustrated, give him rewards when he held back, and lots of hugs to help him calm down. We definitely didn’t just let it slide.
he might not feel pain, but he was still hurting himself
It’s way worse. As babies, they have to wear goggles so they don’t scratch their eyes out. And gloves so they don’t chew their fingers off.
Man, I really don’t wanna know how they figured that out.
RE: Fact #38 (Dogs’ Starch-Digesting Evolution) – So, the number of copies they have really comes down to the breed and where they’re from. Like, Arctic and Australian dog breeds tend to have way fewer copies of the gene than dogs from Europe. It totally makes sense when you think about it – those Arctic and Australian areas didn’t really have agriculture until pretty recently, so the dogs there wouldn’t have needed to process a lot of starches.
From what I remember, one Siberian sled dog they checked out only had one copy of the gene, so it looks like it must have lost one at some point.
RE: Fact #14 (Steve Crohn’s HIV Immunity Discovery) – So in the end, HIV got him too, in a manner of speaking.
Things can get pretty rough sometimes.
RE: Fact #38 (Dogs’ Starch-Digesting Evolution) – It’s totally logical their eating habits would shift to be more like their owners’ grub.
Yep, that was part of them getting used to us, and it was a pretty big deal that they could chow down on all that starchy human food.
My dog is totally obsessed with carrots. She’ll sniff me out if I’m munching on one and she doesn’t know!
RE: Fact #37 (Giant Panda’s Bamboo Diet Preference) – How about we become eccentric billionaire/mad scientist types? We could genetically engineer the umami gene back into giant pandas and totally troll PETA!
Their vegetarian diet is making them less interested in mating. If these giant pandas ate more meat, they’d probably be all over each other and have no trouble reproducing. Soon enough, they’d be off the endangered species list.
RE: Fact #20 (Cilantro’s Polarizing Genetic Variation) – 3% to 21% feels like a pretty wide range, right?
RE: Fact #6 (Golden Spruce’s Unique Mutation) – That’s a wild story. Honestly, it seems pretty obvious he was dealing with a bunch of undiagnosed mental health stuff.
So, I’m still working through the book, but yeah, his brother did get diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and sadly, he took his own life.
Man, that book is total garbage, except for the stuff about his background. The Golden Spruce was looked after by Macmillan Blodel, but the Haida council owned and kept an eye on it. That’s something they totally missed in the book.
RE: Fact #33 (Belgian Blue Cattle’s Muscular Build) – So, we zipped through Belgium a little while back and caught sight of these cows. Seriously, we were stunned by how beefy they were. Then we hit up Switzerland, and their cows looked like little runts next to them.
So, the reason for that is Switzerland keeps its army cows stashed away in underground bunkers.
RE: Fact #2 (Short Sleeper Syndrome Discovery) – This here is my husband. Took him ages to get that my 8-9 hours of sleep was totally normal and not me being lazy.
I can usually get by with 4-6 hours of sleep, which used to really bug my wife since she needs at least nine.
Honestly, this is really helping me feel better. The thought of not getting enough sleep, like less than eight hours, being a big sign of future brain problems really freaks me out.
You probably don’t have it, and you’re kinda hurting yourself. It’s super rare, you know?
RE: Fact #45 (‘Homer Simpson Gene’ in Mice) – Flowers for Algernon is a good read, and it really makes you think about how being smarter isn’t always the best thing.
So, in grade school English, we got through about half of that book. I still haven’t actually finished it, though.
RE: Fact #5 (Jo Cameron’s Pain-Free Mutation) – Remember that House episode? Yeah, that’s not a good look. Our bodies have pain receptors for a reason, right?
Wish we could put a limit on how much pain you can feel.
Doctors try to figure out how much pain you’re in using that 1-10 scale.
Man, if only we could tweak our pain receptors so they maxed out at a 6 or 7.
After that, there’s not much point in making things more unpleasant.
Just cap it so a dentist could yank a tooth without freezing it, that’d probably be good enough.
RE: Fact #15 (Polydactyly: Common Extra Digits Mutation) – Honestly, one in a thousand happens way more often than I thought it would.
Just so you know, for those who didn’t check it out, most polydactyly cases aren’t actually extra fully working fingers. They’re usually more like “fingers” that are missing parts, like bones, or have wonky connections. That’s why doctors typically remove them within the first couple of years after a baby’s born.
Having a fully functional extra finger, the kind you could actually use to play an instrument, is way less common. The article doesn’t say so directly, but you’re probably right to think that.
Pretty much, polydactyly often falls into the “minor birth defect” group that gets fixed with surgery when kids are still little. And yeah, there are definitely more of them out there than most people realize, as far as I know.
RE: Fact #24 (Wild Almonds’ Toxic Past) – How’d they even crack that one?
Person 1: Snacks on almonds, kicks the bucket.
Person 2: Tinkers with genetics, snacks on almonds, kicks the bucket.
Person 3: Does even more gene tinkering, brings in Person 4.
Person 4: Eats almonds. Takes a bit longer to die than Person 2.
Person 3: We’re practically there, team!
Pretty sure they figured out it’d be useful to cultivate after they boiled or roasted them.
So, it’s kinda like:
Guy 1 kicks the bucket.
Guy 2 boils him, thinking “Hey, might taste good, and also, screw that guy.”
Then Guy 2’s like, “Whoa, it actually worked.”
RE: Fact #40 (Geneticist’s Innovative Spider-Goats) – This feels like it should have some creepy movie side effect.
What’s that goat gonna do?
RE: Fact #8 (Elephants’ Cancer Resistance Genes) – An elephant never forgets… its proper cell structures.
RE: Fact #39 (White Deer Herd at Army Depot) – So, where I grew up, right near that base, folks always went back and forth on whether to let people hunt those deer. There’s this big local belief that they’re good luck, and if you take one, you’ll have bad luck. My dad had this coworker who actually shot one, and on his drive home with it in his truck, he flipped the whole thing and ended up paralyzed from the waist down. Then, get this, that guy’s dad had the deer’s head mounted, and it fell off the wall and bonked the dad right on the head, giving him a concussion.
Honestly, it’s all just superstition. Most of the time, people just don’t hunt them because you’d probably get in trouble for trespassing. It’s pretty cool, though, driving past the fence and seeing a white deer just chilling right up against it, staring at you.
RE: Fact #34 (Hypermobility Linked to Autism) – So, I was just diagnosed with hypermobility recently, and it’s good to have this info.
We totally dumbed them down to make ’em easier to handle.
RE: Fact #34 (Hypermobility Linked to Autism) – So, it’s not just autism. Folks with hypermobility are also more likely to deal with all sorts of rare autoimmune stuff and even heart problems. Kinda wild when you think about it.
To dive deeper into how hypermobility connects with autism and other conditions, there are some interesting reads out there.
Glial cells are pretty key players in our connective tissue. They’re also super important in the brain, helping out with how our neurons talk to each other. The name “glia” basically means “glue,” because back in the day, people thought they were the stuff that literally held the brain together, connecting neurotransmitters and controlling how fast nerve signals zip around.
I’m definitely not a scientist, but from what I’ve gathered, it looks like parents might carry a gene. If they pass it on, it could be no big deal, leading to hypermobility and a higher chance of autoimmune issues, but maybe no other symptoms. Or, the kid could inherit a problem with brain glial cells. For some people, this can lead to autism and other cognitive stuff like ADHD. It’s important to remember that glial cell issues don’t automatically mean autism, which is why sometimes parents who don’t have autism or hypermobility themselves can still have kids who do, either one or both. The parent carries the gene, and when it gets passed down, it can affect the body, the mind, or both.
The big thing to take away from all this is that about 1 in 5 moms with joint hypermobility have a child with autism. It seems like genetically, mothers and their children are more prone to autoimmune diseases, and this isn’t common knowledge at all. It even seems like doctors aren’t really looking into this or screening patients for it.
So, hypermobility and EDS aren’t the same thing. EDS is a genetic disorder, and if someone has Hypermobility Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, that’s a genetic connective tissue disorder. Hypermobility itself just means your joints bend more than usual.
Just a little point of clarification, but the distinction matters because you can be hypermobile without having EDS. EDS often comes with other conditions, and autism is one of them.
Here’s how I see it, with my Ehlers-Danlos, the hypermobility, nerve issues, and neurodivergence all feel like they stem from the same thing. Let me break it down for you… so, you’ve got these proprioceptive nerves in your joints, right? They’re super delicate. When your joints go a bit too far, these nerves can get damaged. Folks with EDS call this “potato body syndrome.” Now, proprioception is a huge deal for our minds – it’s what helps us feel where we are and how we move in the world, keeping us grounded and focused outwards. Without that sense of grounding, you can start seeing some unusual social behaviors and a different self-perception, which is what we often describe as autism.
So, there’s this idea going around that maybe some of the other health issues people with behavioral health conditions have are actually caused by people paying more attention to them.
Like, imagine someone already diagnosed with autism. They might be more likely to have someone spot they have hypermobility, you know? But if someone doesn’t have autism, they might not get noticed for the same thing because nobody’s specifically looking for those “signs” in them.
Just to be clear, I’m not saying this theory is for sure true, but it’s a pretty cool way to think about why these things seem to go together.
RE: Fact #20 (Cilantro’s Polarizing Genetic Variation) – Being a cilantro-hater, working as the head chef and menu designer at a Mexican fusion place got pretty wild. I know people dig it, so I just stuck to leaving the cilantro dishes to the owners. That stuff totally takes over everything and tastes like soap to me. I can even pick it out when it’s just a little bit in salsa, and you usually can’t even ask them to skip it since it’s already mixed in for the day.
Yep, totally get what you’re saying. It’s like biting into a bar of ivory soap, seriously awful.
RE: Fact #17 (Scottish Fold Cats’ Health Risks) – Seriously though, can we ditch French bulldogs while we’re at it? They’re just ridiculous.
RE: Fact #31 (Unique White Coyotes in Newfoundland) – Man, coyotes and dogs can have such wild interactions. Sometimes they’ll lure a dog away and the pack goes to town on it, or other times they end up having puppies together.
RE: Fact #6 (Golden Spruce’s Unique Mutation) – So, I went ahead and used the logging to make a statement against logging.
RE: Fact #39 (White Deer Herd at Army Depot) – Just what a rare deer needs, more inbreeding.
RE: Fact #18 (Fungi’s Adaptive Nuclei Migration) – Here’s another cool thing fungi can do. Imagine you’ve got fungus A and fungus B, and they’re actually the same kind of fungus. But, fungus A got used to living in super salty places, while fungus B didn’t. Later on, if fungus A and fungus B bump into each other and merge, fungus A basically shares its trick for handling salty environments. So, all the fungus that used to be fungus B now has that same salty-area survival skill and can spread out in those tough conditions too.
Stay curious and a little wary of fungi.
RE: Fact #37 (Giant Panda’s Bamboo Diet Preference) – Could we just soak a steak in bamboo juice for a bit?
Is a giant panda asking you that?
RE: Fact #13 (Ethanol Metabolism Evolutionary Advantage) – So, the title got me thinking, did we evolve so we could get hammered? Or is it more like we evolved so we don’t get quite as hammered anymore?
The quicker your body breaks down alcohol, the faster it’s clearing it out of your system. So, you’ll be less drunk sooner.
Good thing we figured out distillation to make up for it.
RE: Fact #21 (Humans Evolving in Tibet) – We’re all always changing, pretty much everything alive.
RE: Fact #18 (Fungi’s Adaptive Nuclei Migration) – Seriously working hard to improve their situation.
RE: Fact #33 (Belgian Blue Cattle’s Muscular Build) – Mix in some serious hormone and testosterone abuse by shady farmers, and you’ve got yourself some seriously huge cows.
RE: Fact #28 (Maned Lionesses’ Genetic Mutation) – I actually know of a lion pride that has a female with a mane. The other prides kind of see her as stronger because they’ve got more males, you know? But honestly, look at her face and you can tell she’s still got that lioness look. And she’s totally tight with the other females, they don’t shun her or leave her out of anything they do together. They totally see her as one of them. How neat is that? They’re smart enough to recognize she belongs with them. What’s wild, though, is that she also pulls off some stuff the males do whenever she feels like it. And the guys? They’re cool with it! Her roar is deeper too, more like a male lion’s than a typical lioness roar. It’s pretty mind-blowing because gender roles are a big deal in lion prides for what they do to help the group survive. But it’s like they all understand she does a bit of both because she’s one of a kind. And I’m pretty sure they can tell she looks like a male because other prides mistake her for one from a distance, so they must pick up on her physical traits. It’s wild how the males let her chill with them or go on walks while the females hang back. And the females totally welcome her, play with her, relax with her, look out for her, and protect her just like they would any other female.
RE: Fact #4 (Retriever Weight Gain Mutation) – So, there was this thing on NPR talking about it. Turns out, we’ve kinda bred the dogs that are super easy to train, and we use food to get ’em to do stuff. But, like, there are some weird knock-on effects from all that.
RE: Fact #42 (Epidermodysplasia Verruciformis: Tree Man Illness) – That guy’s having a rough time.
RE: Fact #36 (Turkish Family’s Rare Walking Syndrome) – So, didn’t some scientists show up and pretty much say the reason was they’d never been properly taught to walk, and then they left them with, like, a physical therapy walking bar, and then like 90% of the family was walking straight after only a few weeks? The documentary was saying it was basically fixable.
RE: Fact #9 (Polythelia: Third Nipple Mutation) – So I read this article about folks with extra nipples. And get this, it’s not what you’d probably picture – they can be way smaller and pop up pretty much anywhere on your chest. Some of them just look like a little skin tag, honestly.
Anyway, that got me thinking, how many people with those extra nipples have I actually met and never even realized?
Nope, not at all.
RE: Fact #10 (Lactose Tolerance Mutation Spread) – As a certified milk consumer I can say that this is in fact true