Buzz
This list originated as an April Fools' prank on April 1, 2008. While items 10 and 9 are authentic, the rest are entirely fictional.
The modification of plants and animals has sparked significant debate in recent times, particularly as the technology becomes increasingly accessible to researchers. Despite the potential risks associated with some modifications, scientists continue to experiment and develop some truly remarkable new organisms. Here’s a countdown of the top 10 most bizarre.
10. GloFish
The GloFish became the first genetically modified animal to be sold as a pet. Originally a Zebrafish, it was modified by adding genetic material from bioluminescent jellyfish to its DNA. Initially designed as a pollution detection tool, its potential for the pet industry became evident after it was enhanced with various colors. It was officially launched in the U.S. market in December 2003 by Yorktown Technologies, based in Austin, Texas.
9. Grapple
The grapple is a modern fruit resulting from a genetic cross between an apple and a grape. It combines the apple's size, the grape's texture, and the flavor of both parent fruits. Created with the intent to offer a higher dose of vitamin C per fruit for aid in developing nations, most of the funding for this fruit's development came from UNICEF.
8. Graisin
The graisin, or giant raisin, is a specially modified variety of raisin that grows to massive sizes. Developed by the National Institute of Genetics in Japan, it was created in response to the Japanese passion for large fruits and the rising popularity of western foods like raisins. Despite its size, it maintains the same texture and flavor as its standard counterpart and is often served either raw or sliced thinly in stir-fries.
7. Rubber Cork Tree
Cork trees have traditionally been used to produce cork stoppers for wine, although some producers have switched to plastic corks. However, wine enthusiasts have not embraced rubber corks, so to satisfy both traditionalists and cost-conscious wine makers, SABIC Innovative Plastics has created a hybrid tree that combines a rubber tree and a cork tree. The corks harvested from this new tree resemble real corks and retain their porous properties, but have the durability and flavorlessness of rubber. Ghislain de Mongolfier, current manager and great-grandson of the founder of champagne producer Bollinger, stated: 'This new cork is the greatest thing to happen to wine since the invention of bubbles.'
6. Umbuku Lizard
This creature stands out as the only one on the list that wasn’t created for any practical purpose, but simply to showcase what could be achieved. Genetic engineers in Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) were able to unlock a dormant 'flying' gene in the DNA of the Umbuku lizard, a tiny and rare species native to Africa. It is believed that the Umbuku is a distant relative of the Pterodactyl, which lost its ability to fly millions of years ago. So far, only six of these flying Umbuku lizards have been produced, and they are kept separate from the natural species to prevent the risk of crossbreeding.
5. Paper Tree
The paper tree was designed to cut down production costs and reduce the environmental impact of the paper industry. With the rise in demand for recycled paper products, a Swiss-based company created a tree that grows square-shaped leaves which, once dried, are ready to be used as writing paper. In the image above, an employee of the company is holding a dried leaf next to the trunk of one of the many Paper Trees cultivated by the company.
4. Dolion
This may very well be the most extraordinary example of modern DNA and cross-fertilization techniques; the dolion is a hybrid between a lion and a dog. To create this incredibly rare animal (only three dolions exist in laboratories – the image above features Rex, the very first dolion), the DNA from both creatures must be carefully combined and injected into a host egg. This process is similar to the creation of a liger (a lion/tiger cross), but unlike the liger, which can be produced without altering the DNA of either animal, the dolion requires precise genetic manipulation.
3. Lemurat
As China’s wealth grows, many affluent Chinese women are increasingly seeking unique and exotic pets as symbols of status. This trend has prompted Chinese medical and scientific research companies to compete for this lucrative market by creating hybrid animals. The most financially successful of these has been the Lemur Cat, a cross between a lemur and a cat. As the name suggests, it has the soft fur and coloring of a cat but sports the striped tail and yellow eyes of a lemur. While more aggressive than a typical cat, it is no more dangerous than a Chihuahua. This hybrid's scientific name is Prolos Fira.
2. Fern Spider
The fern spider is unlike anything else on this list, as it is the only creature that combines both plant and animal traits. As of now, it is the only successful animal-plant hybrid ever created. The spider is a mix between a common Italian Wolf spider (Lycosa tarantula) and the ponga fern (Cyathea dealbata). The purpose behind this strange cross was to explore the survival rates of spiders with natural camouflage compared to those without, as part of a study on Natural Selection conducted at Massey University in New Zealand. The study results have not yet been published.
1. Tiny Piney
The Tiny Piney is a miniature pine tree that reaches only 2cm in height when fully grown. Initially developed as a quick-growing source of pine scent for the fragrance industry, its value quickly became apparent in other sectors. Today, the Tiny Piney is extremely popular as an edible plant in Papua New Guinea, where it is battered with a mixture of coconut milk and shellac beetle shells before being deep-fried. The Tiny Piney (official trademark) has a mild pine flavor, enhanced by the coconut milk, and is typically served as a dessert.
