Dr. Dove’s Unicorn Bull

In 1933 Dr. W.F. Dove, a biologist at the University of Maine, conducted an experiment to find out if he could create a "unicorn bull." He removed the two knots of tissue on the side of the bull's head that would normally have developed into horns and transplanted them to the center of the forehead. The experiment was a success. A single, massive horn grew there.

The unicorn horn made the bull the unchallenged leader of its herd. But Dr. Dove observed that the unicorn bull was actually an extremely docile creature. He wrote:

Although he is an animal with the hereditary potentiality for two horns, he recognizes the power of a single horn which he uses as a prow to pass under fences and barriers in his path, or as a forward thrusting bayonet in his attacks. And, to invert the beatitude, his ability to inherit the earth gives him the virtues of meekness. Consciousness of power makes him docile.

Link: Unicorn Garden

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Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over forty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. Contact Us

Posted By: Alex - Wed Dec 17, 2008
Category: Animals | Science | Experiments | 1930s

Comments

So you can relocate the horn buds on just about any horner animal to produce a unicorn bull, goat, ram, etc.; but can you transplant horn buds into a non-hornerd animal like a horse? PETA may not like it, but I'll bet whoever figures it out would make millions selling unicorns to the daughters of wealthy entrepreneurs.

Posted by Matt in Florida on 12/17/08 at 10:15 AM

I think antelopes would be a more logical unicorn choice for wealthy folks wanting to please their daughters. Still, I wonder if science really knows why it does stuff sometimes.

Posted by kingmonkey in Athens, Ontario on 12/17/08 at 11:45 AM

nee075 -- depends on who had the bigger horn.

Posted by BikerPuppy on 12/17/08 at 01:13 PM

All of this could have been avoided if the unicorn would have got on Noah's f#$king ark like all the other good little animals. Selfish mythical creatures.

Posted by Madd Maxx on 12/17/08 at 01:15 PM

The Unicorn may not have boarded the Ark but it survived by swimming beside it:

"Instead it swam beside it for 40 days and 40 nights."

Mythical Creatures List - Unicorn

Posted by Richard on 12/27/12 at 08:25 AM

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