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In the USA, a cloned female black-footed ferret, named Antonia, who is participating in an innovative project to preserve the species, gave birth to two healthy cubs. As written Interesting Engineering, Antonia is the first cloned ferret to become a mother. The event is said to be an important step in the conservation of an endangered population of one of the rarest mammals in North America.
Antonia was cloned from the genetic material of Willa, a black-footed ferret whose DNA was collected in 1988 and stored frozen at the San Diego Zoo. As noted, Villa had unique genetic diversity, which is important for population recovery.
According to Paul Marinari, senior curator at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Institute for Conservation Biology, Antonia's offspring will "promote the health and resilience of the population."
According to experts, the number of black-footed ferrets began to decline sharply in the 1980th century due to the loss of the environment and the spread of diseases. In the early XNUMXs, they were considered extinct, but later a small group of animals was discovered in Wyoming, which gave rise to breeding and cloning programs.
Currently, all living black-footed ferrets, with the exception of clones such as Antonia and her cubs, are descended from the last seven known wild ferrets, posing significant population health risks. In particular, animals are extremely vulnerable to diseases and poorly adapted to environmental changes. Therefore, the introduction of new genetic material from clones helps to increase the stability of the species.
Cloning of black-footed ferrets began in 2020 with the birth of Elizabeth Ann, Willa's first clone. Despite the fact that Elizabeth Ann could not reproduce, her appearance was a breakthrough. Two more individuals were cloned - Noreen and Antonia. As a result of the mating of Antonia with a male named Urchin, three cubs were born, two of which survived.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) noted:
"Successful 'Clone Reproduction' Proves Cloning Promotes Genetic Diversity and Can Ensure Future Reproduction of Species."
Antonia and her cubs will remain at the National Zoo. However, between 150 and 220 ferrets are released into the wild in the western United States, Canada, and Mexico each year as part of a "breeding program." The FWS emphasized that the new genetic material could significantly strengthen the population by increasing its resistance to disease and changing environmental conditions.
