Woolly mammoths have been extinct for about 4,000 years, but we often find their well-preserved remains in Siberian permafrost. Research groups are now planning to use SCNT to resurrect these huge elephant-like mammals. No mammoth eggs have been recovered yet, so elephant eggs would be used instead. An elephant would also be the surrogate mother for the resulting embryo. The researchers may try a modified SCNT technique used to clone a mouse that had been dead and frozen for 16 years. Ice crystals that form during freezing break up cell membranes, so cells from the frozen mouse were in bad shape. Their DNA was transferred into donor mouse eggs, and cells from the resulting embryos were fused with undifferentiated mouse cells. Four healthy clones were born from the hybrid embryos. What are some of the pros and cons of cloning an extinct animal?
Woolly mammoths have been extinct for about 4,000 years, but we often find their well-preserved remains in
Siberian permafrost. Research groups are now planning
to use SCNT to resurrect these huge elephant-like mammals. No mammoth eggs have been recovered yet, so
elephant eggs would be used instead. An elephant would also be the surrogate mother for the resulting embryo.
The researchers may try a modified SCNT technique used to clone a mouse that had been dead and frozen for
16 years. Ice crystals that form during freezing break up cell membranes, so cells from the frozen mouse were in
bad shape. Their DNA was transferred into donor mouse eggs, and cells from the resulting embryos were fused
with undifferentiated mouse cells. Four healthy clones were born from the hybrid embryos. What are some of
the pros and cons of cloning an extinct animal?
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