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This cute fella is a Pyrenean ibex, a wild mountain goat, an animal that has been extinct since 2000 when the last one died in Spain. However, scientists, not letting a small thing like extinction get in the way, recently cloned an ibex from frozen ibex cells. Unfortunately, due to lung problems, the cloned newborn Pyrenean ibex died a few minutes after being born.

Using DNA taken from these skin samples, the scientists were able to replace the genetic material in eggs from domestic goats, to clone a female Pyrenean ibex, or bucardo as they are known. It is the first time an extinct animal has been cloned.

Sadly, the newborn ibex kid died shortly after birth due to physical defects in its lungs. Other cloned animals, including sheep, have been born with similar lung defects.

Even when preserved in ice, DNA degrades over time and this leaves gaps in the genetic information required to produce a healthy animal. Scientists, however, last year published a near-complete genome of the woolly mammoth, which died out around 10,000 years ago, sparking speculation it will be possible to synthesise the mammoth DNA.

It has also increased the possibility that it will one day be possible to reproduce long-dead species such as woolly mammoths and even dinosaurs.

And I thought Jurassic Park was complete science fiction, but a lot of details in the article are quite similar to Jurassic Park. So, Jurassic Park will be possible, we just have to remember the rules that the movie taught us.

1. No raptors.
2. Islands don’t work.
3. Screaming kids get you killed.
4. Do not hire Neuman.

Bottom line: I’ll be first in line (and eaten) at Jurassic Park.

Extinct Ibex Cloned [telegraph]

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