A
Anonymous
Guest
There is scientific evidence to suggest that cheetahs were at some point of time reduced to only one breeding pair, which managed to reproduce and repopulate in their own little niche. It's been said that any two cheetahs are only as distantly related as cousins or something, but yet they manage to survive.
If they do manage to clone thylacines, they will most likely be gestated in tasmanian devils (one of the few other carnivorous marsupials around). Scientists can probably mix up the genetic contect of their DNA a bit, especially since they are taking DNA from several different thylacine specimens), so that they won't be too closely related. Or at least, that is the theory.
If they are successfully cloned, once their population size is up a bit and their life cycle has been studied etc., I would be interested to see if thylacines would be reintroduced into the environment. I mean, it would upset the ecology somewhat, but on the other hand it would mean the reintroduction of a natural predator which could help solve the problem of rabbits, foxes and other 'foreign' species to Australia.
Food for thought...
If they do manage to clone thylacines, they will most likely be gestated in tasmanian devils (one of the few other carnivorous marsupials around). Scientists can probably mix up the genetic contect of their DNA a bit, especially since they are taking DNA from several different thylacine specimens), so that they won't be too closely related. Or at least, that is the theory.
If they are successfully cloned, once their population size is up a bit and their life cycle has been studied etc., I would be interested to see if thylacines would be reintroduced into the environment. I mean, it would upset the ecology somewhat, but on the other hand it would mean the reintroduction of a natural predator which could help solve the problem of rabbits, foxes and other 'foreign' species to Australia.
Food for thought...