Uber cow - the Belgian Blue

No, this is not a beef cow pumped up on steroids, he was born this way. You'd think that by going to an Ag school like UC Davis as an undergraduate we'd come across one of these babies in our time there. But I can say for certain this is the first time I have seen a He-cow and it was in a graduate level neuroendocrinology class at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, Ca. Weird, weird, weird.

The Belgian Blue is a breed that lacks a gene called GDF-8 or growth determining factor 8, which normally controls muscle growth through a protein called myostatin. Without it, muscles grow like crazy. It would be useful to understand how this gene and protein are regulated for theraputic reasons, as in the case of muscular dystrophy where muscles deteriorate. There is also a mutant mouse version but because they are furry, you can't see the definition like on these guys. I feel like ol' Blue here needs some tanning lotion, a speedo, and some workout music.