The Big Butt Gene Discovered

Researchers have discovered the gene for big butts -- at least a gene that gives some sheep unusually big, muscular bottoms. The discovery could help scientists understand more about how fat and muscle are deposited in the body, including in humans. Researchers have long known that certain sheep have a genetic mutation that makes them develop unusually lean and muscular back ends. But they've been unable to isolate the specific mutation. Researchers from the Agriculture Department and Duke University in Durham, N.C., and colleagues finally found the gene on chromosome 18 by studying the genes of inbred offspring of big-bottomed sheep. The gene, the researchers believe, somehow shuts down the production of fat cells while promoting the creation of muscle cells. The researchers dubbed the gene “callipyge,“ which means “beautiful buttocks“ in Greek. The work was described in the October issue of Genome Research.