The precious genes of the world’s first cloned ferret could save her species
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2022
- The National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center in Fort Collins, Colorado, isn’t Jurassic Park, but new developments there might sound familiar to fans of the sci-fi classic. This year, the center’s sole cloned ferret, a 14-month-old female named Elizabeth Ann, is expected to become the first clone to be bred for the sake of saving her species from extinction.
Three other species have been cloned for conservation: a Przewalski’s horse named Kurt, and two types of Southeast Asian cattle under threat, the gaur and the banteng. But Elizabeth Ann is the only clone set to take the next step and breed, an essential step in delivering her unique genes to the shrinking black-footed ferret gene pool.
However, even Elizabeth Ann isn’t 100% black-footed ferret. Somatic cell nuclear transfer-the technique used to create her-uses a domestic ferret as a surrogate mother, a process that leaves traces of domestic genes in the cloned offspring. To boost the black-footed ferret genes, scientists hope to one day breed Elizabeth Ann’s male offspring with a captive black-footed female, thereby ferreting out any domestic genes. This video shows how it can be done. - Наука та технологія
"ferreted out," haha, I see what you did there.
They were weasel words.
I took my kids to the San Diego frozen zoo. It was hard not to validate their disappointment.
Let's hope the day never comes when they can do this with politicians.
they will. i promise you it isn't pet owners financing this costly research.
I am sure that Rockefeller, who has had 3 heart replacements already, will be cloned.
90% of the people here didn't understand anything about the cloning mechanism
Yeah! I hope this works! Thank you to the scientists who are trying.
Humans want to live forever, so want to be cloned. The same hypocritical humans complain about over-population. Certainly no one with an IQ below 150 should be cloned - nor anyone with genetic physical problems.
If this works, it would be beyond incredible!
We shall see how things go. Then, we'll learn more. With patience.
We are doomed!
Ah good! So we can keep hunting and maiming and testing on animals. They'll never go extinct.
yep. When I think about the evil humanity has done, I start to wish covid-19 had really been extremely deadly. Maybe the next pandemic will. Fingers crossed.
@@genkiferal7178 : plVk4NVIUh8
This is to bring more genetic diversity to a species surviving from just 18 animals, they desperately need these genes to keep them healthy this female didn’t breed in the 80s when they froze her.
Pretty sure that the offspring of cloned animals gets weaker with each generation. It doesn't mater if they mate with another clone or a non-cloned animal of the species, the offspring will suffer from health conditions that will only worsen through generations.
I mean yeah there are only 350 or so of them are left, but saying that clones will 'save the species' is a dangerous overstatement. Why not help out with conservation and breeding initiatives which will save the species instead of spending way more money, effort and time on cloning them which costs an absurd amount of money.
I mean if you think cloning will save this species then alright, but I'm just saying that this will do more harm than good.
I believe you have cloning confused with selective breeding. Try watching before you comment.
@@Robloxian-vq5ch all of the black footed ferrets alive today come from just 18 captured individuals the whole species is in desperate need of these genes, this female has 3 times the amount of diversity in her genes than any other black footed ferret alive today and she didn’t breed in the 80s so they froze her for the future. Knock knock, it’s been 40 years.
@@Robloxian-vq5ch the ferrets that are left are too close genetically to each other, like cousins. The cloned ferret have genetics from a 1980 ferret that have the genetic variations the others are already lacking. The whole reason of cloning her was to bring that genetic diversity into their gene pool. Those 350 are like a small village were people marry each other and then Elizabeth is a girl from another village, still same species but unrelated to any of them.