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Cloning Noah's Ark
Abstract
Biotechnology might offer the best way to keep some endangered species from disappearing from the planet
... Les migrations demeurent généralement rares à cause des coûts liés aux transferts d'animaux, mais aussi à la difficulté de prélever des animaux sauvages d'une espèce menacée alors que leurs effectifs sont généralement faibles. L'utilisation de techniques de reproduction artificielle facilite les migrations entre populations captives puisqu'il est beaucoup plus facile (et moins coûteux) d'échanger des gamètes ou des embryons que des individus (Dresser, 1988;Ebenhard, 1995;Lanza et al., 2000 ). Par ailleurs, ces techniques permettent de limiter les risques sanitaires liés aux déplacements d'individus (IUDZG et al., 1993). ...
... Les techniques utilisées couramment en captivité incluent l'insémination artificielle (Gee, 1994;Saint Jalme et al., 1994 ), la cryopréservation des gamètes (Chalah et al., 2002;Hartley et al., 1999;Olson et al., 2003;Saint Jalme et al., 2003 ) ou encore la cryopréservation des embryons (Dresser et al., 1996;Lanza et al., 2000;Pope, 2000). Le génome d'un individu est ainsi rendu disponible pour la reproduction bien longtemps après sa mort (Ballou, 1984;Frankham et al., 2002;Gilmore et al., 1998;Johnston et al., 1995;Planchenault, 2003). ...
Wild populations of the endangered Houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata undulata) are currently being reinforced in the eastern part of Morocco. In order to evaluate the potential genetic impact of the population reinforcement, the genetic structure and mating system of wild populations was investigated using both mitochondrial and microsatellite markers. We found low genetic differentiation at the North African scale. This result reduces potential constrains for the reinforcement management strategy. A study of the captive flock indicated that most of the initial genetic diversity was preserved, despite some risks of loosing allelic diversity. Combined with a strict genetic management, the regular addition of few founders will allow the preservation of a high level of genetic diversity in the captive flock. The use of these genetic data combined with demographic ones will allow the evaluation of the global impact of the reinforcement on wild populations.
... For example, captive breeding programs are typically not only meant as a refuge in response to a temporary ecological crisis, but they often aim at releasing additional individuals into the wild to support small or declining populations and to help preventing further losses of genetic diversity (Young and Clarke 2000). Such captive breeding programs sometimes even include the use of assisted reproductive technologies (Gibbons et al. 1995, Dobson and Lyles 2000, Lanza et al. 2000. There are a number of potential risks that need to be considered in such programs. ...
... Family sex ratio manipulation is possible in many taxa. The degree of the invasiveness of the manipulation spans from manipulating environmental conditions during embryo and larval development or manipulating female perception of certain environmental key factors to, for example, sperm sexing prior to assisted reproductive technology in captive breeding programs (Gibbons et al. 1995, Dobson and Lyles 2000, Lanza et al. 2000. With regard to the latter, some methods of micromanipulation and some in vitro culture conditions have been discussed as potentially having an effect on embryo sex ratio in mice and cattle (King et al. 1992, Gutierrez et al. 1995. ...
... For example, captive breeding programs are typically not only meant as a refuge in response to a temporary ecological crisis, but they often aim at releasing additional individuals into the wild to support small or declining populations and to help preventing further losses of genetic diversity (Young and Clarke 2000). Such captive breeding programs sometimes even include the use of assisted reproductive technologies (Gibbons et al. 1995, Dobson and Lyles 2000, Lanza et al. 2000. ...
... Family sex ratio manipulation is possible in many taxa. The degree of the invasiveness of the manipulation spans from manipulating environmental conditions during embryo and larval development or manipulating female perception of certain environmental key factors to, for example, sperm sexing prior to assisted reproductive technology in captive breeding programs (Gibbons et al. 1995, Dobson and Lyles 2000, Lanza et al. 2000. With regard to the latter, some methods of micromanipulation and some in vitro culture conditions have been discussed as potentially having an effect on embryo sex ratio in mice and cattle (King et al. 1992, Gutierrez et al. 1995. ...
Conservation biology is called a "crisis discipline." In a world undergoing rapid change, this science informs us about research, technologies, management practices, and policies that can help protect the earth's naturally-occurring biological diversity. The six chapters of this book provide insightful analysis on managing protected areas (Middle East), conserving biochemical and genetic diversity of carob tree (Tunisia) and wild pear (Japan), determining the health status of Amazon manatee, manipulating sex ratios to benefit wildlife, and narrowing the gap between religion and conservation. The authors approach threats to biological diversity from varied angles, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the field. This book offers room for reflection on the definition and utility of the word 'natural' on a planet now overwhelmingly dominated by people.
... 1. Very small or rapidly declining population sizes of endangered species call for emergency actions like, for example, captive-breeding programmes (Gibbons, Durrant & Demarest, 1995;Ballou & Foose, 1996) or the use of assisted reproductive technology (ART; e.g., Gibbons et al., 1995;Dobson & Lyles, 2000;Lanza, Dresser & Damiani, et al., 2000). The increase of population size to above critical levels is one of the first aims of these programmes. ...
... Sometimes, saving an endangered species from extinction requires the use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) (Gibbons et al., 1995;Dobson & Lyles, 2000;Lanza et al., 2000). Although the techniques and protocols do not normally seem to influence sex ratio in humans (Gray et al., 1998) or pigs (Soede, Nissen & Kemp, 2000), some methods of micromanipulation or freezing and some in vitro culture conditions may have an effect on sex ratio at birth in mice and cattle (King et al., 1992;Gutierrez et al., 1995). ...
Manipulating family sex ratio is often possible, either through non-invasive methods like changing sex-determining ecological or social factors, or through more invasive methods such as hormone treatment of embryos or sperm sexing prior to using assisted reproductive technologies. If the number of available eggs limits population growth, the production of relatively more daughters than sons may eventually lead to increased population growth in terms of absolute numbers. However, any deviation of the effective sex ratio from equality increases the rate of inbreeding and the loss of genetic variance in the next generation. I show here that there is a range of female biased sex ratios where increased population growth outweighs the effect of an enhanced inbreeding rate during the first generation or the first few generations after the start of a sex ratio manipulation programme. This is especially so in small and declining populations, where some sex ratio manipulations not only increase the effective population number Ne, but also shift the population quickly into population numbers that are safe against the Allee effect. Consequently, an optimal sex ratio manipulation with respect to the genetic quality of a population means sending an endangered population first through a genetic bottleneck to achieve increased Ne, and hence decreased rates of inbreeding, in the long run.
... Accordingly, the focused adaptation measures outlined above to address hunger and water stress would, in addition to reducing those specific problems, also provide "co-benefits" by reducing pressures on species and biodiversity. Other measures could also include the establishment of gene banks (Wilbanks et al. 2003), measures to preserve and propagate endangered or threatened species through modern biological techniques (Estabrook 2002;Lanza et al. 2000), and techniques based on restoration biology, or adaptive management of disturbance regimes such as fires to help mediate transitions from one ecosystem regime to another as environmental conditions change (Goklany 2007c). ...
... El grupo Lanza et al. (58) efectuaron la primera clonación de una especie en peligro de extinción: un gaur asiático a quien llamaron «Noé», obtenido por la transferencia de núcleos utilizando células de piel (fibroblastos) de gaur macho y ovocito enucleado de vaca doméstica, y cuyo embrión reconstituido fue transferido en una vaca doméstica. Actualmente esperan el nacimiento del gaur clonado y señalan que están en planes de ser clonadas especies tales como el antílope bongo, el tigre de Sumatra y el panda gigante. ...
... There is a growing interest in using reproductive technologies, such as artificial insemination, embryo transfer, and the more recently developed methods of in vitro embryo production in the captive breeding of rare and endangered species of mammals. Moreover, many investigators believe that these technologies can facilitate genetic transfer between captive and free-ranging populations of nondomestic species (Lasley et al. 1994;Loskutoff et al. 1995;Wildt et al. 1997;Holt and Pickard 1999;Lanza et al. 2000b;Pope 2000;Berg et al. 2002;Ptak et al. 2002). Compared with natural mating or the first generation of ART (i.e., AI and ET), in vitro embryo production, combined with cryopreservation and ET, offers more flexibility in sire-dam selection and, theoretically, would maximize the number of offspring that can be produced per male or female gamete donor. ...
We isolated and further characterized fibroblasts obtained from postmortem skin biopsies of three different Brazilian wild species (Chrysocyon brachyurus-maned wolf, Cerdocyon thous-crab-eating fox, Mazama gouazoubira-brown brocket deer). The effects of two cryoprotectants, 10% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and 5% dimethylformamide (DMF), were assessed to determine the most efficient cryopreservation protocol. Such an investigation promotes the creation of germplasm banks, using samples that would otherwise be rejected and permanently lost following the death of the animals. We utilized animal corpses that were involved in highway accidents, found dead in the natural environment, or referred to us from the veterinary hospital at the Brasília Zoo. Fibroblasts from C. brachyurus specimens presented a delay in cell growth in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium in relation to other species. This observation is a limiting factor for the future storage of cells from this species. Differences in cellular morphology were observed between C. brachyurus, C. thous, and M. gouazoubira, presenting branched, fusiform, and spherical forms, respectively. The cryoprotective solution containing 10% DMSO was more efficient than 5% DMF medium in preserving the viability of fibroblasts of the three species (p < 0.05). After defining the best cryopreservation solution, a germplasm bank was successfully formed. This biological reservoir is configured as the first germplasm bank containing somatic cells and gametes of wild mammals of the Cerrado biome of Brazil. This material will be used for future characterization of the species and multiplication by means of nuclear transfer cloning.
Cryopreservation practices have become increasingly important within contemporary life sciences in recent decades, opening up the perspective of modifying and modulating temporal pathways and developmental cycles. Exploring the concept of “suspended life,” this article first focuses on temporal liminality as cryopreservation practices operate by extending the present. I rely on Niklas Luhmann’s account of time, which advances the idea of an enduring present bound to the principle of reversibility. The second part of this article engages with the emergence of cryobanks. Drawing on Martin Heidegger’s concept of the “standing-reserve” ( Bestand), I conceive of cryobanks as storing facilities that ensure the disposition of organic material. The third section discusses the advent of a “politics of suspension” based on the proliferation of cryogenic life in contemporary societies, which is defined by reversibility and disposition. The conclusion sums up the main argument and briefly points to the social and political repercussions of this mode of governing the future by prolonging the present.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
Reproduction is essential to the continuation and evolution of life on this planet and is therefore a centrally important process in the conservation of wildlife. However, reproductive mechanisms are well understood in only a handful of vertebrate species, mostly domestic livestock and laboratory animals. This means that attempts to develop and implement management policies for wildlife conservation, and especially for endangered species that, by definition, are difficult to study, are often based on poor data or no data at all. In Reproductive Science and Integrated Conservation leading authorities provide glimpses of reproductive diversity in fishes, amphibia, reptiles, birds and mammals. Conservation plans are founded on the assumption that reproduction will be successful, but what if it fails? This book reviews the many factors that influence reproduction, including genetics, behaviour and nutrition, and experts assess the potential conservation relevance of the recent rapid advances in reproductive technology and medicine.
DNA barcoding based on mitochondrial (mt) nucleotide sequences is an enigma. Neutral models of mt evolution predict DNA barcoding cannot work for recently diverged taxa, and yet, mt DNA barcoding accurately delimits species for many bilaterian animals. Meanwhile, mt DNA barcoding often fails for plants and fungi. I propose that because mt gene products must cofunction with nuclear gene products, the evolution of mt genomes is best understood with full consideration of the two environments that impose selective pressure on mt genes: the external environment and the internal genomic environment. Moreover, it is critical to fully consider the potential for adaptive evolution of not just protein products of mt genes but also of mt transfer RNAs and mt ribosomal RNAs. The tight linkage of genes on mt genomes that do not engage in recombination could facilitate selective sweeps whenever there is positive selection on any element in the mt genome, leading to the purging of mt genetic diversity within a population and to the rapid fixation of novel mt DNA sequences. Accordingly, the most important factor determining whether or not mt DNA sequences diagnose species boundaries may be the extent to which the mt chromosomes engage in recombination.
Humans are the highest form of intelligent life on Earth. But what is it that makes us distinctly human? From a purely scientific perspective, what, if anything, sets us apart from other forms of life? Are there other important considerations, apart from the natural sciences, which might be necessary, if we want a complete picture of what it means to be human? In this chapter, we will explore these and other questions related to our humanness. We conclude the chapter by focusing on the question, what can we learn from an android about what it means to be human?
A revolutionary event in biology and medicine occurred in 1996 when scientists at the Roslin Institute in Scotland succeeded in cloning animals from cultured cells taken from a mature ewe. Dolly is the first mammalian clone created by transferring the nucleus from an adult cell to an unfertilized egg (with its own nucleus already been removed). Clones have since been produced from adult cells of mice, cattle, goats, pigs and other animals.
Total number of cells in cloned embryos is generally lower than that of in vivo derived embryos and in bovines cell allocation at the blastocyst stage, has been observed to be affected in a large proportion of cloned embryos. The current embryo staining procedures are toxic for mammalian cells and thus can not be used to determine the developmental potential of a stained embryo. Therefore, in the present study we sought to assess the feasibility to develop a noninvasive embryo model that would be suitable for the evaluation of cloned embryos subjected to different nuclear transfer and embryo culture procedures. For doing this, we stably transfected a bovine embryonic fibroblast cell line and generated a number of clones that constitutively expressed a red fluorescent protein (HcRed) in the nuclear compartment of the cell. Those clones with normal chromosomal content were further used as nuclear donor in nuclear transfer procedures (SCNT) to generate transgenic cloned embryos. These embryos expressed the red fluorescent protein in each blastomere, allowing their in vivo evaluation during development, thus demonstrating the potential of this model as a noninvasive tool for the assessment of the quality of cloned embryos.
The transplantation of insulin-producing cells is a promising option for the treatment of patients suffering from diabetes. Because the amount of transplantable surrogate islets is limited, pluripotent stem cells characterized by self-renewal and differentiation capacity offer unique alternatives for regenerative medicine. Over the last years, embryonic stem (ES) cells isolated from early embryos of mouse and human origin have been used for in vitro differentiation into the endoderm and pancreatic lineages. The application of various differentiation strategies resulted in the formation of insulin-producing cells, but only partially, ES-derived insulin-secreting clusters were able to normalize the blood glucose level of diabetic mice. Recently, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells have been established by reprogramming of adult cells via the transfer of pluripotency-associated genes. These iPS cells were also capable to differentiate into insulin-positive cells. Here, we present a short overview about the strategies established for the generation of insulin-producing cells from murine and human pluripotent ES and iPS cells. The data demonstrate the achievements that have been obtained with respect to the production of islet-like cells, but also underline that future efforts are needed to improve their functional status and to translate laboratory data into clinical application.
Humans are the highest form of intelligent life on Earth. But what is it that makes us distinctly human? From a purely scientific perspective, what, if anything, sets us apart from other forms of life? Are there other important considerations, apart from the natural sciences, which might be necessary, if we want a complete picture of what it means to be human? In this chapter we will explore these and other questions related to our humanness. We conclude by focusing on the question, what can we learn from an android about what it means to be human?
"With a foreword by James Randi Paranormal investigator Joe Nickell has spent more than thirty years solving the world's most perplexing mysteries. This new casebook reveals the secrets of the Winchester Mystery House, the giant Nazca drawings of Peru, the Shroud of Turin, the "Mothman" enigma, the Amityville Horror house, the vicious goatsucking El Chupacabras, and numerous other "unexplainable" paranormal phenomena. Nickell has traveled far and wide to solve cases, which include a weeping icon in Russia, the elusive Bigfoot-like "yowie" in Australia, the reputed power of a headless saint in Spain, and an "alien hybrid" in Germany. He has gone undercover-often in disguise-to reveal the tricks of those who pretend to talk to the dead, accompanied a Cajun guide into a Louisiana swamp in search of a fabled monster, and gained an audience with a voodoo queen. Superstar psychic medium John Edward, pet psychic Sonya Fitzpatrick, evangelist and healer Benny Hinn, and many other well-known figures have found themselves under Nickell's careful scrutiny. The Mystery Chronicles examines more than three dozen intriguing mysteries. Nickell uses a hands-on approach and the scientific method to steer between the extremes of mystery mongering and debunking. His investigative skills have won him both acclaim and controversy during his long career as one of the world's foremost paranormal investigators. Copyright © 2004 by The University Press of Kentucky. All rights reserved.
The determination of when, how, how often and with whom an animal breeds is moving rapidly away from evolutionary pressures and towards human purposes: these include the breeding of around 50 billion mammals and birds for food production annually, the breeding of pedigree dogs and cats, racing dogs and horses, specialised laboratory animal strains and the use of reproductive science to conserve endangered species or breeds and to limit unwanted populations of pests and non-native species. But the ethics and sustainability of this takeover of animals' reproductive lives have been insufficiently examined by either professionals or the public. This book discusses the methods, the motivations and the consequences of human intervention in animal breeding in terms of animal health, behaviour and well-being. It explores where we are now and the choices ahead, and looks to a future where we have more respect for animals as sentient beings and where we could loosen the reins of reproductive control.
About 99.9% of vertebrate species reproduce sexually. This makes the exceptional 0.1%-the asexual or clonal reproducers-fascinating in their own right, and also uniquely instructive about the biological significance of alternative reproductive modes. This book describes the genetics, ecology, natural history, and evolution of all of the world's approximately 100 "species" of vertebrate animal that routinely display one form or another of clonal or quasi-clonal reproduction. The book investigates the astounding realm of sexual abstinence, from the levels of DNA molecules and somatic cells to whole animals and natural populations. Also described is how scientists have learned to mimic and extend nature's own clonal processes by engineering perfect copies of genes, genomes, and whole animals in the laboratory. By considering the many facets of sexual abstinence and clonal reproduction in vertebrate animals, new light is also shed on the biological meaning and ramifications of standard sexuality.
Many profound concerns in the life sciences are linked with the enactment, ordering, and displacement of a broad range of values. This chapter proposes a number of analytical and methodological means to deal with these concerns. The chapter proposes the word valuography to indicate a programme of empirically oriented research into the enacting, ordering, and displacing of values. The valuographic research programme embraces the idea that values do not exist as transcendental entities, impinging themselves upon our actions. Drawing on the chapters of this volume, this chapter outlines a number of approaches for examining values as precarious outcomes of practices. It also grapples with three main areas of concern: these relate to how stakes are made; the intertwining of values and the epistemic; and the relationships between economic and other values. The chapter states these are providing direction to the development of a critique of values, given the weakness that comes from a purely pragmatic stance.
Climate change, some claim, is this century's most important environmental challenge. Mortality estimates for the year 2000 from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate, however, that a dozen other risk factors contribute more to global mortality and global burden of disease. Moreover, the state-of-the-art British-sponsored fast track assessments (FTAs) of the global impacts of climate change show that through 2085-2100, climate change would contribute less to human health and environmental threats than other risk factors. Climate change is, therefore, unlikely to be the 21(st) century's most important environmental problem. Combining the FTA results with WHO's mortality estimates indicates that halting climate change would reduce cumulative mortality from hunger, malaria, and coastal flooding, by 4-10 percent in 2085 while the Kyoto Protocol would lower it by 0.4-1 percent. FTA results also show that reducing climate change will increase populations-at-risk from water stress and, possibly, threats to biodiversity. But adaptive measures focused specifically on reducing vulnerability to climate sensitive threats would reduce cumulative mortality by 50-75 percent at a fraction of the Kyoto Protocol's cost without adding to risks from water stress or to biodiversity. Such "focused adaptation" would, moreover, reduce major hurdles to the developing world's sustainable economic development, lack of which is the major reason for its vulnerability to climate change (and any other form of adversity). Thus, focused adaptation can combat climate change and advance global well-being, particularly of the world's most vulnerable populations, more effectively than aggressive GHG reductions. Alternatively, these benefits and more - reductions in poverty, and infant and maternal mortality by 50-75%; increased access to safe water and sanitation; and universal literacy - can be obtained by broadly advancing sustainable economic development through policies, institutions and measures (such as those that would meet the UN Millennium Development Goals) at a cost approximating that of the Kyoto Protocol. However, in order to deal with climate change beyond the 20852100 timeframe, the paper also recommends expanding research and development of mitigation options, reducing barriers to implementing such options, and active science and monitoring programs to provide early warning of any "dangerous" climate change impacts.
Total number of cells in cloned embryos is generally lower than that of in vivo derived embryos and in bovines cell allocation at the blastocyst stage, has been observed to be affected in a large proportion of cloned embryos. The current embryo staining procedures are toxic for mammalian cells and thus can not be used to determine the developmental potential of a stained embryo. Therefore, in the present study we sought to assess the feasibility to develop a noninvasive embryo model that would be suitable for the evaluation of cloned embryos subjected to different nuclear transfer and embryo culture procedures. For doing this, we stably transfected a bovine embryonic fibroblast cell line and generated a number of clones that constitutively expressed a red fluorescent protein (HcRed) in the nuclear compartment of the cell. Those clones with normal chromosomal content were further used as nuclear donor in nuclear transfer procedures (SCNT) to generate transgenic cloned embryos. These embryos expressed the red fluorescent protein in each blastomere, allowing their in vivo evaluation during development, thus demonstrating the potential of this
Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a technique by which the nucleus of a differentiated cell is introduced into an oocyte from which its genetic material has been removed by a process called enucleation. In mammals, the reconstructed embryo is artificially induced to initiate embryonic development (activation). The oocyte turns the somatic cell nucleus into an embryonic nucleus. This process is called nuclear reprogramming and involves an important change of cell fate, by which the somatic cell nucleus becomes capable of generating all the cell types required for the formation of a new individual, including extraembryonic tissues. Therefore, after transfer of a cloned embryo to a surrogate mother, an offspring genetically identical to the animal from which the somatic cells where isolated, is born. Cloning by nuclear transfer has potential applications in agriculture and biomedicine, but is limited by low efficiency. Cattle were the second mammalian species to be cloned after Dolly the sheep, and it is probably the most widely used species for SCNT experiments. This is, in part due to the high availability of bovine oocytes and the relatively higher efficiency levels usually obtained in cattle. Given the wide utilization of this species for cloning, several alternatives to this basic protocol can be found in the literature. Here we describe a basic protocol for bovine SCNT currently being used in our laboratory, which is amenable for the use of the nuclear transplantation technique for research or commercial purposes.
In 2001, a collaboration between Edinburgh scientists and a research team in Teramo, Italy, made the first surviving clone of an endangered mammal: a wild sheep species called the mouflon, indigenous to the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia, Corsica and Cyprus. Amidst fierce debates on the ethics of cloning, this application of biotechnology to wildlife conservation appeared relatively felicitous. Will cloning techniques bring redemption for the immanent loss of genetic resources? How would this alter the very nature and culture of biodiversity protection? On an island of notorious shepherds, wilderness and wildlife are increasingly valued over the objects of traditional pastoral work. Set against the background of ongoing tensions over the creation of a new national park in Sardinia, the story of the cloned mouflon signified the power of new science to redefine the politics of biodiversity, undermining the cultural authority of shepherd towns over human-animal relations.
Determinants of adaptive and mitigative capacities (e.g., availability of technological options, and access to economic resources,
social capital and human capital) largely overlap. Several factors underlying or related to these determinants are themselves
indicators of sustainable development (e.g., per capita income; and various public health, education and research indices).
Moreover, climate change could exacerbate existing climate-sensitive hurdles to sustainable development (e.g., hunger, malaria,
water shortage, coastal flooding and threats to biodiversity) faced specifically by many developing countries. Based on these
commonalities, the paper identifies integrated approaches to formulating strategies and measures to concurrently advance adaptation,
mitigation and sustainable development. These approaches range from broadly moving sustainable development forward (by developing
and/or nurturing institutions, policies and infrastructure to stimulate economic development, technological change, human
and social capital, and reducing specific barriers to sustainable development) to reducing vulnerabilities to urgent climate-sensitive
risks that hinder sustainable development and would worsen with climate change. The resulting sustainable economic development
would also help reduce birth rates, which could mitigate climate change and reduce the population exposed to climate change
and climate-sensitive risks, thereby reducing impacts, and the demand for adaptation. The paper also offers a portfolio of
pro-active strategies and measures consistent with the above approaches, including example measures that would simultaneously
reduce pressures on biodiversity, hunger, and carbon sinks. Finally it addresses some common misconceptions that could hamper
fuller integration of adaptation and mitigation, including the notions that adaptation may be unsuitable for natural systems,
and mitigation should necessarily have primacy over adaptation.
Reproductive cloning, or the production of offspring by nuclear transfer, is often regarded as having potential for conserving endangered species of wildlife. Currently, however, low success rates for reproductive cloning limit the practical application of this technique to experimental use and proof of principle investigations. In this review, we consider how cloning may con- tribute to wildlife conservation strategies. The cloning of endangered mammals presents practical problems, many of which stem from the paucity of knowledge about their basic reproductive biology. However, situations may arise where resources could be targeted at recovering lost or under-represented genetic lines; these could then contribute to the future fitness of the population. Approaches of this type would be preferable to the indiscriminate generation of large numbers of identical indi- viduals. Applying cloning technology to non-mammalian vertebrates may be more practical than attempting to use conven- tional reproductive technologies. As the scientific background to cloning technology was pioneered using amphibians, it may be possible to breed imminently threatened amphibians, or even restore extinct amphibian species, by the use of cloning. In this respect species with external embryonic development may have an advantage over mammals as developmental abnormal- ities associated with inappropriate embryonic reprogramming would not be relevant.
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