Should We Bring Back Extinct Animals?
Should We Bring Back Extinct Animals?
1. Background and Context
Cloning is the act of producing a copy of a living organism that is physically and genetically identical to the organism that it originates from. There are many ways to clone organisms. In the question of extinct animals, those ways are somatic cell nuclear transfer, SCNT for short, or mapping out the genome of an extinct animal and implanting it into a closely related surrogate mother. In the case of the woolly mammoth, the cell would have to be implanted into an Asian elephant (Hutchinson). Another idea proposed by scientists would be to alter an existing elephant’s genome so that it followed the genome of a woolly mammoth (Hutchinson).
Recently, cloning has seen a significant number of advances. The Asian ox is an endangered species. Fortunately, 2001 saw the birth of Noah, a successfully born Asian ox. Unfortunately, he died a few days later (Hutchinson). Other kinds of cloning have also been advancing. In 2008, the efficiency of agricultural cloning caused the FDA to approve consumption of cloned animals. For clients who miss their pets, reproductive cloning allows clients to “resurrect” their livestock or pets for a large sum of money (Hutchinson). Although there have been no lawsuits against extinct animal cloning, many groups oppose it because they don’t want unethical practices taken to clone animals. In 1952, Robert Briggs and his team of scientists created the first successful animal clone. They removed the nucleus from a frog egg and replaced it with DNA from a different frog’s cells. In 1996, the first adult mammal, Dolly the sheep, was cloned by Ian Wilmut (Hutchinson). Instead of taking DNA from an embryonic cell, Wilmut took the genetic information from an adult male sheep and injected it into a fertilized female egg through SCNT (Hutchinson).
2. Side 1: Extinct Animals Should not be Brought Back The opponents of extinct animal cloning
1. Background and Context
Cloning is the act of producing a copy of a living organism that is physically and genetically identical to the organism that it originates from. There are many ways to clone organisms. In the question of extinct animals, those ways are somatic cell nuclear transfer, SCNT for short, or mapping out the genome of an extinct animal and implanting it into a closely related surrogate mother. In the case of the woolly mammoth, the cell would have to be implanted into an Asian elephant (Hutchinson). Another idea proposed by scientists would be to alter an existing elephant’s genome so that it followed the genome of a woolly mammoth (Hutchinson).
Recently, cloning has seen a significant number of advances. The Asian ox is an endangered species. Fortunately, 2001 saw the birth of Noah, a successfully born Asian ox. Unfortunately, he died a few days later (Hutchinson). Other kinds of cloning have also been advancing. In 2008, the efficiency of agricultural cloning caused the FDA to approve consumption of cloned animals. For clients who miss their pets, reproductive cloning allows clients to “resurrect” their livestock or pets for a large sum of money (Hutchinson). Although there have been no lawsuits against extinct animal cloning, many groups oppose it because they don’t want unethical practices taken to clone animals. In 1952, Robert Briggs and his team of scientists created the first successful animal clone. They removed the nucleus from a frog egg and replaced it with DNA from a different frog’s cells. In 1996, the first adult mammal, Dolly the sheep, was cloned by Ian Wilmut (Hutchinson). Instead of taking DNA from an embryonic cell, Wilmut took the genetic information from an adult male sheep and injected it into a fertilized female egg through SCNT (Hutchinson).
2. Side 1: Extinct Animals Should not be Brought Back The opponents of extinct animal cloning
Cited: Agenbroad, Larry. "Mammoth Cloning: The Possibilities and Consequences of Cloning a Mammoth." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. The Associated, Press. "Mammoth Fragments From Siberia Raise Cloning Hopes." AP Top News Package (2012): Points of View Reference Center. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. Greenwood, Alex D. "Mammoth Cloning: Cloning the Extinct Woolly Mammoth Back to Life: Can it or Should it be Done?." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. Hutchinson, Jennifer. "Background Essay." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. Morris, Jonathan. "ethics of animal cloning." Science Online. Facts On File, Inc. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. . Nowak, Rachel. "Cloning 'Resurrects ' Long-Dead Mice." New Scientist 8 Nov. 2008: n. pag. EBSCO Host. Web. 19 Mar. 2014. . Rich, Nathaniel. "The Mammoth Cometh." New York TImes [New York City] 2 Mar. 2014: n. pag. New York Times. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. .