myfrogcroaked:“Elizabeth Ann is the first cloned black-footed ferret and first-ever cloned U.S. enda
myfrogcroaked:“Elizabeth Ann is the first cloned black-footed ferret and first-ever cloned U.S. endangered species. She was created from the frozen cells of “Willa,” a black-footed ferret that lived more than 30 years ago.“ So, why is this a big deal? Because, “All living black-footed ferrets are descended from 7 individuals, resulting in unique genetic challenges to recovering the species.” Willa died 30 yrs ago, but she wasn’t one of the 7. Her genome represents an important revival of genetic diversity.Source: Revive & RestoreHey fun fact Elizabeth is possibly named after one of the 2 wildlife veterinarians that helped vaccinate and saved the species from extinction. Elizabeth “Beth” Williams was the one greatest proponents for their conservation, her husband was Tom Thorne who helped oversee the program. My mother knew both of them personally and the conservation project was nearly lost when both Elizabeth and Tom were killed in a fatal car crash when an 18 wheeler crosed into their lane. Their death was a tragic loss, but I imagine they would overjoyed by this success. -- source link
#conservation#cloning#endangered species