Are Men Obsolete?
Genetically Engineered Mice Reach Adulthood via 'Virgin Birth'

So reads a headline that came into my inbox. The sober scientific report, at page 809 of the current issue of Nature magazine, is not available on line; you can get only the summary:

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Genomic imprinting: Mice without a father 809
DAVID A. F. LOEBEL AND PATRICK P. L. TAM
In mammals, genomes from both parents are generally needed to make viable offspring. But changing the expression of 'imprinted' genes can render the father's contribution dispensable.

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But you'll find plenty of secondary reports here, if you're reading this reasonably soon after it was posted. The one I liked best was that of Time Magazine Online. For when I loaded it, the web-pag had this appropriate advertising banner (yours may differ):

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .LEVITRA
. . . . . . . . .IF YOU'RE EXERIENCING
. . . . . . . . . . .A CHANGE IN YOUR
. . . . . . . . . .ERECTILE FUNCTION
. . . . . . . . . TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR

Coincidence?

Michael Quinion, of World Wide Words fame, mentions this in his latest newsletter. However, he is concerned mainly with the coinage of a new word for the process.

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Cloning isn’t right, as that refers to the creation of an offspring genetically identical to its single parent, but the mouse is a combination of the DNA of its two female parents. The Japanese researchers who created it called the process parthenogenesis, but that word is already used to mean the creation of an individual from a single unfertilised egg (many species are capable of breeding in this way, though not mammals), not a conjoined pair of eggs. New Scientist came up with homoparentism, which sounds like a good term, if you take homo- to mean “same”. The trouble is that its adjective homoparental already exists in English. It was coined in French and is defined in Le Petit Larousse as relating to “the exercise of parental rights by two persons of the same sex living as a couple”.

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Wait a week and his full article will probably appear on Michael's Web site.

This just in (tongue in cheek):

Female Mice Procreate In Lab; Bush Quickly Bans Same Sex Mice Procreation

After discovering that two female mice have procreated in a lab in Japan without the help of a male mouse, President Bush moved quickly to ban this procedure here in the United States.

"It is despicable and against nature to have two mice, of the same sex, procreate." Stated President Bush in a press conference, "If we allow this in the States, next thing you'll know, the Mayor of San Francisco will be marrying them. Not while I'm in office."

Indeed, when 1000 mice were asked if same sex mice procreation should be allowed, 75% of them said they would not approve of such a thing, thought, they don't mind watching a porno movie where two female mice are making out, while 25% of them said they couldn't care less.

quote:

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Originally posted by Hic et ubique:
This just in (tongue in cheek):

Indeed, when 1000 mice were asked if same sex mice procreation should be allowed, 75% of them said they would not approve of such a thing, thought, they don't mind watching a porno movie where two female mice are making out, while 25% of them said they couldn't care less.

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You know, there's a joke in there about female mice and homparentalism and cats and some slang terminology, but I'm not going there.

(However, CJ, Asa and Hic, you should now be ashamed of yourselves, you dirty minded perverts.)

I certainly hope men aren't obsolete. See "Incredible Shrinking Y", posted on Sep. 2, 2003 in "Men versus Women". Then scroll down to " Is Sex Necessary", posted Dec 22.

Tinman

Talk of the "Incredible Shrinking Y" makes me think of too-tight underpants. Perhaps a cure for the problem might be to try wearing boxer shorts?

In fact, boxer shorts have been shown to increase fertility. Recall the Seinfeld on that (pardon those of you who live in the UK)?