Is it possible to create light emitting creatures using selective breeding?
Suppose I take a group of alligators select the ones that emit the highest frequency of radiation (since all living creatures emit thermal radiation), and I breed those, and get rid of the rest and continue this for thousands of generations. Is it possible, that at one point the frequency of that radiation becomes high enough to enter the visible light spectrum?
My theory is that, since the criteria we have selected for the selective breeding is high frequency radiation, a point should come where the radiation becomes high enough for us to see, because after all, it is the body that is creating the energy, which depends on the genes of the alligators.
And if it is possible, could we exceed the visible light spectrum? Maybe reach a point where the alligators start emitting X-Rays or Gamma Rays? And do you think the alligators, as creatures, would completely change in order to keep up with the selective breeding system?
EDIT:
After seeing the answer's I've got, I remembered that alligators are cold-blooded, so would this work for warm blooded animals like monkeys, or any animal if possible?
This post was sourced from https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/q/136450. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1 answer
No. Not in the way you are suggesting, and not to the frequencies and power that you are dreaming of.
However... you could go around your problem and have a symbiotic relationship with some light emitting animal (e.g. a firefly), or bioluminescent fungus, or bacterium (as in the case of a certain squid).
You would "only" need to create a selective pressure for the two organisms to cooperate. In the case of the squid, the cephalopod needs to camouflage by imitating the brightness of the sea surface, and the bacteria are just happy to be carried around. In the case of your alligator, the light could attract some nocturnal preys, or camouflage the alligator during full-moons. The bioluminescent animals could benefit from cleaning the dirty teeth of the alligator, or cleanse its skin from parasites and ticks, or simply enjoy being carried around for the sake of it.
0 comment threads
0 comment threads