New Species Being Served For Buffet

Discussion in 'Vietnamese Chat' started by ralphrepo, Nov 11, 2010.

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ralphrepo Well-Known Member

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Be careful of what you eat, LOL...

In a rush? Just read the Bold Red Lines for a quick synopsis:

Scientists discover unknown lizard species at lunch buffet

By Brian Walker, CNN
Novemberr 10, 2010

(CNN) -- It may be an old menu standby to Vietnamese diners, but it's turned into a smorgasbord of discovery for scientists. Researchers have identified a previously undocumented species of all-female lizard in the Mekong River delta that can reproduce itself by cloning, and the story of how it was discovered is almost as exotic as the animal itself. Leiolepis ngovantrii is a small lizard found only in southern Vietnam. A Vietnamese reptile scientist who came across tanks full of the remarkably similar looking reptiles at small diners in rural villages in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province became intrigued when he noticed that all of the lizards appeared to be female. So the scientist, Ngo Van Tri of the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, contacted an American colleague about what he was seeing. His friend -- a herpetologist at La Sierra University in Riverside, California -- immediately dropped everything to come out to assess the find.

Dr. Lee Grismer and his son, Jesse Grismer, a doctoral candidate, flew all the way to Hanoi and then faced a grueling two-day motorcycle trip out to a restaurant where the owner promised to set aside a stash of the creatures for study. But there was a little problem, says Grismer. "Unfortunately, the owner wound up getting drunk, and grilled them all up for his patrons... so when we got there, there was nothing left." Faced with an empty tank and nearly dashed hopes, the men asked around at other cafes in the area for the local delicacy, and hired children to track down as many of the lizards as they could find.

The team soon had more than 60, and realized they had something special on their hands: a previously undocumented species. "It's an entirely new lineage of life that was being eaten and sold in restaurants for food," says Grismer. "But it's something that scientists have missed for hundreds of years." DNA sampling on the tiny reptiles brought another surprise: all of the lizards were female, and clones of their mothers. It's a rare trait, but not unheard of. Some species of lizards and fish can adapt to parthenogenesis, or self-fertilization, especially when faced with adverse environments, pollution or over-hunting. Grismer suspects that the lizards are a hybrid mix of two similar lizard species in the area, but one that is not sterile and is adapted to the increasing population of human farmers around it. In fact, while scientists once led big expeditions to the most remote areas to find new animals, Grismer says today, that new frontier is quite often right in people's backyards.

"What we're finding is that local inhabitants know a tremendous amount about the natural histories of the regions in which they live," he says, adding that tapping into local knowledge has led to many new lizard discoveries. "It's not that they're not known... locals know all about them. It's just that they're not known to scientists." So what does a plate full of Leiolepis ngovantrii taste like? Well, nothing remotely like chicken, Grismer says. "You wouldn't want to substitute it for a Big Mac or anything like that," he says, and you won't see lizard banh mi showing up on menus anytime soon. Grismer complained that he had to hold his breath while eating the local dish to appear polite to the restaurant owners. "You take a bite out of it and it feels like something very old and dead in your mouth," he said.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/11/10/lizard.lunch.discovery/index.html?hpt=C1
Click to expand...

#1 ralphrepo, Nov 11, 2010
kevin RAWR!

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ewww. Everyone uses the phrase "it taste like chicken", they say that to rats too.

#2 kevin, Nov 12, 2010
Jeff 神之馬壯

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^ Agreed.

Everyone says it taste like chicken.

#3 Jeff, Nov 12, 2010
kevin RAWR!

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But does it really taste like chicken, that's the main question xD

#4 kevin, Nov 13, 2010
Jeff 神之馬壯

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I dont know. You gotta try it and tell me

#5 Jeff, Nov 13, 2010
kevin RAWR!

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I'll pass on that. People probably say it tastes like chicken so others can try, and when they do it taste disgusting (they will then say it taste like chicken) xD

#6 kevin, Nov 13, 2010
EvilTofu 吃|✿|0(｡◕‿◕｡)0|✿|吃

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Mostly in America or Western countries will they say it taste like chicken, I doubt many people will say that over there, it'll taste like what it is for the most part. Over there, they eat all kinda of animals so don't be shock...It might be pretty good...yum yum...

#7 EvilTofu, Nov 13, 2010
kevin RAWR!

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what bout those that eat d** and c**? How does that taste.

This ain't new but I see butchers selling ox tongue and p3n15, who eat those kind of stuff!?!?

#8 kevin, Nov 13, 2010
_Fahrenheit_ -blank

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^they tastes like chicken : D

from the pic, it doesnt look appetizing..

#9 _Fahrenheit_, Nov 13, 2010
mr_evolution ( • )( •ԅ(ˆ⌣ˆԅ)

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They clone themselves? Awesome!

You order 1 lizard, you get 2!

#10 mr_evolution, Nov 13, 2010
_Fahrenheit_ -blank

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i want to watch the process of cloning

maybe the scientists can learn something there!

#11 _Fahrenheit_, Nov 13, 2010
Jeff 神之馬壯

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I want to clone myself . But i probably dont like him.

#12 Jeff, Nov 14, 2010
kevin RAWR!

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hey fah what pic are you talking bout? I can't see it

#13 kevin, Nov 14, 2010
_Fahrenheit_ -blank

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^if uclick the link on the first thread u can see it.

#14 _Fahrenheit_, Nov 14, 2010
kevin RAWR!

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It look disgusting, so much bones and spiky thingy.

just clicked on the link init.

#15 kevin, Nov 14, 2010
_Fahrenheit_ -blank

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I know xD. And the colour >_<

#16 _Fahrenheit_, Nov 14, 2010
kevin RAWR!

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look burnt

#17 kevin, Nov 14, 2010
Jeff 神之馬壯

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Don't judge a book by its cover

#18 Jeff, Nov 14, 2010
kevin RAWR!

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Go eat it then!

#19 kevin, Nov 14, 2010
EvilTofu 吃|✿|0(｡◕‿◕｡)0|✿|吃

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You bunch of babies...

It's not that bad, I seen worst...

That still looks better than a Balut, try eating that...uke:

#20 EvilTofu, Nov 15, 2010

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