An endangered species has been successfully cloned for the first time. A team
in Italy has cloned a mouflon, a wild sheep found in Sardinia, Corsica and
Cyprus, using the technique that cloned Dolly (Nature Biotechnology,
vol 19, p 962). They took DNA from dead mouflons and injected it into eggs from
domestic sheep. Several embryos were implanted into domestic ewes, one of which
gave birth to an apparently healthy mouflon lamb, which is living at a wildlife
centre in Sardinia. As a last resort, cloning might save many species that are
threatened with extinction.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Environment
Galapagos corals suggest climate change drives stronger El Ni帽os
News
Life
Astonishing whale feeding frenzy seen off the eastern coast of Greenland
News
Environment
Octopuses released into Adriatic Sea to tackle invasive crabs
News
Technology
Driving data can predict crash black spots before accidents happen
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles