Cloning Endangered and Extinct Species

[Star-gazer]

Some people see cloning as a way to remedy the problem of endangered species, and to reproduce those that have already disappeared.

In order to use cloning to recreate a species, you would need to:

-Obtain intact DNA, which is difficult; establish a community of animals that could reproduce, which is difficult if you are starting off with only a few, and especially if they are all of one sex.

-Ensure the genetic diversity of the species, which is difficult to do with just one individual specimen.

-Find a natural habitat for this species, otherwise they would be condemned to live in a zoo.

Do you think this is something that should be done?
Could it do more harm then good?

I think we need to do everything possible to save the endangered animals we have now. Instead of spending time and money on cloning. Put the effort and money into putting aside land, and putting away poachers, as well as educating people about conservation.

 

[Hercules Rockefeller]

I agree 100%. Cloning is not a viable means of preserving endangered species for all the reasons you’ve outlined. The mass media will sometimes run stories that suggest cloning as a means of preservation, but I’m not sure that it’s seriously considered by anyone knowledgeable on the subject.

I think we need to do everything possible to save the endangered animals we have now. Instead of spending time and money on cloning. Put the effort and money into putting aside land, and putting away poachers, as well as educating people about conservation.

Bingo! As with world hunger and disease, the solutions to these problems are largely economic, not scientific. Eliminating third world debt will help to reduce the need for people to destroy huge swathes of natural habitat every day in order to simply survive and earn money to feed themselves. Investing in renewable technologies is also vital to preserving habitats. This is where science can play its biggest role.

I won’t say these are facts; these are simply the opinions that I have formed.

 

[orcot]

Obtain intact DNA

yust wondering about this one, couldn't techniques to recreate intact DNA from fragmented DNA be used for a whole lot of other application like slowing down aging or countering radiation poisening as a few examples?

 

[Hercules Rockefeller]

yust wondering about this one, couldn't techniques to recreate intact DNA from fragmented DNA be used for a whole lot of other application

Hmmm, I don’t see how. There is a large distinction between what can be done to DNA in vitro (a great deal) and what can be done to the DNA in the cells of a living human (very little). Manipulating DNA in a tube is easy; manipulating DNA in the cells of a living human is very hard. DNA in vitro is easy to access and manipulate as it is “naked” DNA whereas DNA in vivo is tucked away inside dense chromatin bundles inside chromosomes inside the nucleus. How do you get access to the DNA in the nucleus in the cells without damaging the cells or the tissue? How do you alter the DNA in all the cells of the person, or at the very least, all the cells of the tissue in question? :shrug:

…like slowing down aging or countering radiation poisening as a few examples?

I don’t believe that DNA fragmentation has much (if anything) to do with aging. Certainly DNA fragmentation occurs in a dying cell, but cells undergo senescence then cell death due to a predetermined genetic program. Trying to somehow reverse DNA fragmentation will not remove this genetic constraint. DNA damage has a lot more to do with radiation poisoning but the same problems exist with respect to in vivo treatments.

 

[halo07guy]

Well, they've figured out how to grow skin for people. How much longer until they figure out a way to grow gentically diverse clones?

I'm thinking that if each clone was given a unique DNA sequence, that might make it diverse enough. Basically, you'd be handcrafting every single animal's DNA. And I think it it takes less population then a sentient being to e genetically diverse.

EX: Sentient beings are more complex the non-sentient beings. Therefor, genetic diversity has a bigger impact on sentient beings then non-sentient ones. So theoretically, it should take a smaller population to re-build the species. At least, I think thats close to right.

 

[Idle Mind]

How much longer until they figure out a way to grow gentically diverse clones?

I'm pretty sure that's an oxymoron. Clone = exact copy. How can a copy be diverse?

 

[orcot]

I'm pretty sure that's an oxymoron. Clone = exact copy. How can a copy be diverse?

How exact is exact their is genotype and there is fenotype. A clone could possibly, look quit different from the original.

Sentient beings are more complex the non-sentient beings

On a gentic level? I'm not sure I understand that there are bactery with only a few strands of genes but I see no reason why a lesser sentient being would suffer less then a human.

Hmmm, I don’t see how. There is a large distinction between what can be done to DNA in vitro (a great deal) and what can be done to the DNA in the cells of a living human (very little).

Your more familiar with the topic then I, but what if someone has a bad organ a simple one perhaps like a skin condition perhaps a albino. Wouldn't it be possible to harvest some of those skin cells fix them so that they can produce a color grow them in a lab and then atach them to the patient?
and if more simple a iris perhaps? Might this work??

 

[Orleander]

If you cloned the tazmanian devils that are dying of a contagious cancer, wouldn't that be ok?

 

[MetaKron]

It costs a lot less money to simply breed endangered animals and let people keep them as pets.

 

[Idle Mind]

How exact is exact their is genotype and there is fenotype. A clone could possibly, look quit different from the original.

Yes, it's possible for them to look different. However, they are still genetically identical, which means that the genetic diversity will be zero.

 

[Orleander]

But what if you clone all the endangered ones in the small group, not just one. Like those Tasmanian devils. Couldn't you clone them without the cancer?

 

[orcot]

Yes, it's possible for them to look different. However, they are still genetically identical, which means that the genetic diversity will be zero.

A bit like identical twins

 

[orcot]

wait no identical twins also shared the same womb, The difference of a clone would be far greater