Why can't we clone endangered species?

Question

With all the advances in cloning, why doesn't someone start cloning endangered species?

Answer 1

Maybe cause if we clone them theyl be more endangerd ones like me. hahahahahahahahahahah!

Answer 2

Its suppeeeeer expensive.

Answer 3

Sounds like a great idea to me!  Although it's probably because of some reason to do with the risk involved and it might put thing in imbalance.  I decided to search it though, and here are some articles I found on the subject:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0...

http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/clo... (see sidebar)

http://nature.ca/genome/03/d/20/03d_24_e...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/9621...

Answer 4

I'm sure we can...but the real question is...should we?  Based on evolutions, they had there chance on earth....but if there extinction is due to human causes, then I can see us cloning.

Answer 5

And then after we poplutate the world with artificially created animals we can start cloning grandfathers and grandmothers.  What a wonderful world it would be.

Answer 6

Bad idea to clone.

First it's terribly expensive.

Second, to clone all of the animals would then have to be captive.

Thrid, all of the cloned animals that survived to adult breeding age would be COMPLETELY identical.  There would be zero genetic diversity.

Fourth, if the animals (like koalas) were dying out because of a disease, the population would have no genetic diversity, and zero immunity to a disease.

Fifth, people would put pantents (sp?) on the cloned animals, and suddenly they would go from endangered WILD animals, to an OWNED and controled bit of merchendice.

I just woke up, and I have a raging headache, so those are the only reasons I can think of off the top of my head.

~Garnet

Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

Answer 7

the problem is that if you clone something then you have the exact same of the parent clone therefore you have a limited gene pool to draw on for reproduction.It would be like cloning you and your sister for example even though you could have 100 of each you cannot reproduce with your self or immediate family kinda get my drift the best for endangered species is to get them to a secluded place and allow them to get things done on there on

Answer 8

I think you're under the impression that clones are grown in a jar in a lab.. no, they are grown in an animal's womb.

The process typically involves DESTROYING a healthy embryo (which would end up a healthy adult anyway) and then replacing it with a clone.

Answer 9

You can!In England they cloned a sheep called Dolly, she lived for a number of years and had various health complaints which led to a premature death.

Even if cloning technology got to the stage where they cloned perfectly healthy  endangered species. While still maintaining the genetic diversity of the species by cloning different animals from breeding programmes around the world, the reintroducing endangered species has been unsuccessful on the whole to date.  

You can count successful reintroductions on your the digits of your fingers and toes.

Who trains these cloned animals how to hunt, who teaches them social interaction?  Animals which have been brought up in close proximity to humans, and reintroduced into the wild, generally imprint humans with food, which can lead to their downfall.

Cloning is not the answer, to managing endangered species.

The responsibility for managing earth's areas of highest biodiversity must lie collectively with the global community. We must act collectively to put a stop to the mass premature extinction on this planet.  This can be achieved if the developed countries with their financial power repay to the planet the large debit they have enjoyed for the past two hundred years.  This might be achieved by helping developing nations financially:  it is here that the conservation is most needed.