Cows are the latest beasts to join the genome club. Maryland biotech firm Metamorphix has announced it has mapped the cow genome, and is now beginning to search for the genes that make meat tender. The map is based on two species. The company sampled both Bos indicus cattle which are common in India and Africa, and Angus, Limousin and Simmental breeds of Bos taurus cattle from Europe. Metamorphix will make its map available to paying customers.
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
2
Humans sleep the least of all apes – is it the secret to our success?
3
The race to understand how and when Thwaites glacier will collapse
4
We’ve uncovered a master gene that switches on human development
5
Remote-controlled cockroach swarm can now breathe underwater
6
I’m the first person whose life was saved by CRISPR base editing
7
Our verdict on The Selfish Gene: An unpopular piece of popular science
8
Woman with Alzheimer's starts conversing again after taking psilocybin
9
US government wants to have a useful quantum computer by 2028
10
Childbirth for many primate species is even harder than for humans
