Sasikanth Kancherla

Background  Dolly, cloning has been an ethical issue ever since.  Animal cloning has been made possible, but still very temperamental. 277 attempts to clone a sheep  It is possible to recreate an organism simply from its DNA and a surrogate.

Why?  In recent years the list of endangered species has been growing.  Each year thousands of species are wiped off the Earth forever.  We are on the verge of facing the sixth great extinction.  Who wouldn’t want to bring back the majestic Dodo bird?

How?  Nuclear Transfer 1. Obtain sample DNA 2. Recreate the genome 3. Transfer DNA 4. Develop eggs 5. Implant the embryos 6. Deliver the cloned organism

Challenges  A surrogate may be rare or impossible to find.  Obtaining the complete DNA from an extinct species is nearly impossible if it is not obtained before its extinction.  It is too dangerous to risk the lives of endangered animals in experimentation.

Pros  We can maintain the species diversity of the Earth.  Cloning can become more cost effective than trying to preserve an endangered species.  Being able to better understand the “missing links” in the fossil record will better enable us to understand human physiology as well.  Jurassic Park: Dinosaurs are awesome!!!

Cons  Reduces genetic diversity. (Founder’s Effect)  Greater chance for genetic defects.  Some species are no longer adapted to survive, with or without human intervention.  We many reintroduce invasive species.  Some believe that the cloning of endangered animals would enable us to continue with habitat destruction without repercussions.  Jurassic Park: Dinosaurs will eat us all!!!

Cloning Gaur  Advanced Cell Technology successfully cloned a male Gaur.  In 2001, a female domestic cow gave birth to a male gaur.  The first example of cloning an endangered species, and cloning an animal with a surrogate from another species.

What does this mean?  The potential to rejuvenate endangered populations is now possible.  Noah, the cloned Gaur, died after two days.  The return of the Gaur to southeast Asia will preserve the fragile biological diversity existing in the region.

Cloning an Extinct Species  The Pyrenean ibex went extinct in  Shortly before extinction, skin cells from the ibex were preserved.  After 57 attempts the Pyrenean ibex was successfully cloned.  The baby ibex died shortly after birth.  Another attempt is underway.

Drawbacks  Expensive… for now.  2% success rate in the Gaur experiment.  Lower life expectancy than a natural born Gaur.  Is yet to be successfully raised to adulthood.

Opinion  It is essential that we continue work on the cloning of endangered species.  Several individuals of a species should be cloned to ensure genetic diversity.  Legislation for the continued protection of endangered habitats and species should not be repealed because of the advent of cloning.

Opinion (cont.)  DNA from endangered species should be saved for possible future cloning  There are too many unknown factors involved with the cloning of endangered species. It is unknown how they will impact the world’s ecosystems. It is unethical to bring back an animal that is ill equipped to adapt to today’s world.

Work Cited  Choi, Charles Q. "First Extinct-Animal Clone Created." National Geographic, 10 Feb Web..  "Why Clone?." Learn. Genetics. The University of Utah, Web. 1 June  "Ethics of Cloning." Oracle Think Quest, n.d. Web. 2 June  "Jurassic Park for Real? - Cloning Extinct Animals." Squidoo, n.d. Web. 1 June  Gray, Richard, and Roger Dobson. "Extinct ibex is resurrected by cloning." Telegraph 31 Jan [UK]. Web. 1 June  “Human genome Project Information”. U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, 11 May Web. 1 June  Henderson, Catherine. The Pros & Cons of Cloning. eHow, n.d. Web. 1 June