the Northern white rhino It is classified as extinct by the IUCN, but science seems to have found a way to save it. The project Puresco Actually bet on it Assisted fertilization and reproduction in the laboratory. The results, in an article published in Science advanceslooks promising, but the division in society is the implications Ethics out of the plan.
The plight of the northern white rhino
Northern white rhino announced functionally extinct. With this definition those species that are no longer capable of it are classified Reproduction Thus, it is doomed to disappear within a few years. Today in the world they remain alone Two samples Northern white rhinos and both are females. last male, Sudanat the age of 45 in Kenya, in 2020. The blame for the irreversible decline lies witha leg. In fact, rhino horn is the focus of a thriving black market and Overfishing Turns out he’s ruthless. development turn up Then large herbivores were deprived of their habitat. the efforts To save the species there was no shortage, but all attempts to encourage mating and procreation proved to be in vain.
Science to save the white rhino
Some researchers fromOsaka UniversityWith the help of a team ofPadua University. Scientists have focused on semen Collected from now deceased and normal males oocytes From the female that is still alive with the intention of reaching out and then getting some embryos in the laboratory. The next step is to transplant them into female southern white rhinos, which can serve as rhinos surrogate mothers. The goal is not to give birth to one puppy, but to encourage it re-population, to obtain many specimens that can then be released into the wild. The project has also reached new milestones that could warrant some variety Genetics. The team has, in fact, devised a technology to get it primordial germ cellsprecursors of eggs and sperm, from skin samples from other samples.
Divided society
The project to save the northern white rhino from extinction has not been received in a mixed way. The researchers who promoted it claim that it represents A revolution Pointing out that technologies can lead to Stop of many condemned species. However, many scientists question whether it is more appropriate to focus efforts on recovery of endangered species, rather than bringing back those that are already extinct. Then others argue that theEffect Such disturbances to ecosystems must be carefully assessed and the risk is that Archaeology May be harmful. issues related toEthics They are still in the evaluation stage.
New projects to bring the northern white rhino back from extinction are exciting Outlook – Perspectives. Some even aim to resurrect me Mammoth And while the searches are still controversial and in their infancy, some companies have already raised huge sums financing. You find yourself thinking about it Jurassic Park It may become almost automatic.
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