Could nature turn a hare into a jackalope?
Keywords:
Mythology, Biology, Dermatology, JackalopeAbstract
The jackalope is a chimera of a hare and antelope found in North American folklore, taking the entirety of hare features with the addition of antelope horns. Biological processes which could naturally give rise to horn like protrusions on a hare were explored, namely cottontail rabbit papilloma virus and cutaneous horns. While these methods may give rise to horn like growths, it is impossible to control their number and location such that a ‘true’ jackalope appearance i.e., two horns on the top of the head, is achieved.
References
Bibi, F. (2014) Assembling the ruminant tree: combining morphology, molecules, extant taxa, and fossils, Zitteliana Reihe B: Abhandlungen der Bayerischen Staatssammlung fur Palaontologie und Geologie, 32, pp. 197-211.
New York Times (2003) Douglas Herrick, 82, Dies; Father of West’s Jackalope, available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/19/us/douglas-herrick-82-dies-father-of-west-s-jackalope.html (Accessed: 7 February 2022).
Shope, R.E. and Hurst, E.W. (1933) Infections Papillomatosis of Rabbits with a Note on the Histopathology, Journal of Experimental Medicine, 58(5), pp. 607-624. DOI: 10.1084/jem.58.5.607
Duch, C.E., Williams, R.A.J., Timm, R.M., Perez-Tris, J. and Benitez, L. (2015) A Century of Shope Papillomavirus in Museum Rabbit Specimens, PLoS ONE, 10(7), e0132172. DOI: 10.1371/journal. pone.0132172
Merriam-Webster (n.d.) papilloma, available at: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/papilloma (Accessed: 6 February 2022).
Hess, L. and Tater, K. (2012) ‘Dermatological diseases’, in Quesenberry, K.E. and Carpenter, J.W. (3rd edn) Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents, St Louis: Elsevier, pp 232-244.
Kerr, P.J. and Donnelly, T.M. (2013) Viral Infections of Rabbits, Vet Clin North Am: Exot Anim Pract, 16(2), pp. 437-468. DOI: 10.1016/j.cvex.2013.02.002
Yu, R.C.H., Pryce, D.W., Macfarlane, A.W. and Stewart, T.W. (1991) A histopathological study of 643 cutaneous horns, British Journal of Dermatology, 124(5), pp. 449-452. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1991.tb00624.x
Hussain, S. (2019) Giant Cutaneous Horn: A Rare Case Report and Review of Literature, International Journal of Science and Research, 8(5), pp. 639-640. DOI: 10.21275/ART20197763
Akan, M., Serkan, Y., Gūlden, A. and Tayfun, A. (2001) Xeroderma Pigmentosum With a Giant Cutaneous Horn, Annals of Plastic Surgery, 46(6), pp. 665-666.
Tinkey, P.T., Uthamanthil, R.J. and Weisbroth, S.H. (2012) ‘Rabbit Neoplasia’, in Suckow, M.A., Stevens, K.A. and Wilson, R.P. (1st edn) The Laboratory Rabbit, Guinea Pig, Hamster and Other Rodents, Elsevier, pp. 447-501. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-380920-9.00016-X
Gregory, T.R. (2009) Understanding Natural Selection: Essential Concepts and Common Misconceptions, Evo Edu Outreach, 2, pp. 156-175. DOI: 10.1007/s12052-009-0128-1
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. All content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC-BY 4.0).
