Buff Domestic Animals Who Look Like the Arnold Schwarzeneggers Of The Animal Kingdom

Myostatin. We won’t be surprised if you’ve never heard this word before, unless you have a knack for biology. Myostatin is a protein. A very important protein because it controls muscle cell growth. Actually, it inhibits muscle differentiation. Therefore, animals either lacking myostatin or treated with substances that block its activity have significantly more muscle mass. A single genetic tweak can turn a normal animal into a zoological bodybuilder. There are animals with naturally occurring mutations in the myostatin gene. When carefully bred, their offspring show dramatic “double muscling” and remarkable strength. On the other hand, scientist can introduce a mutation into genetic code of an animal making its muscles develop beyond the point they would naturally. The animals you’ll see below are the most impressive examples of how only one gene mutation can transform an animal into an ultra ripped creature.

Belgian Blue Bulls

If you watched videos of matadors fighting huge raging bulls, you would be undoubtedly scared of just walking by Belgian Blue bulls. These muscle-bound hunks are living proof of the genetic power of many decades of selective breeding. Due to a naturally occurring genetic variation in a gene encoding the production of myostatin and consequently increased number of muscle fibers, they have hyper-muscular physique, as well as their meat has reduced fat and increased tenderness.