On Tue, 16 Dec 2003 05:06:32 -0800, Charlie Wilkes wrote:

Yes. Today's Bananas are susceptible to disease and unable to
reproduce without human participation in the process. Lack of genetic
diversity has driven the common Banana to the brink of extinction.
Banana-killing pathogens have gone global, and experts agree it is
very unlikely that bananas will be on supermarket shelves a decade
from now. I fully expect that the same could happen to many breeds of
dogs.

Charlie

Your subject line *Bananas/dogs going extinct because of inbreeding* needs clarifying, because of course these are two different issues.

You are absolutely right about the pathogens.

Unfortunately in the case of the banana there are only a few top researchers, three were killed in a plane crash and soon after, the man widely regarded as the world's top banana breeder, Phil Rowe, died.

A lack of interest from the big banana companies, who got bored with funding unsuccessful breeding programs and now concentrate their research budgets on finding new fungicides, which is bad news for the consumer.

Inbreeding reduces fertility, vigour or overall health and mental stability. Inbred animals are more prone to diseases such as infections and cancer

However both questions have got phuck all to do with narkk Moon Dawgie's assertion;

Message-ID:
Keep in mind that after many successive clonings of clones of clones,
etc.,the chromosomal telomeres gradually get worn out, and the plants
become inferior.