Scientists Who Cloned Dolly the Sheep Plan to Clone Endangered Scottish Wildcats Using Eggs From Spayed Pets
European Wildcat Only about 400 Felis silvestris silvestris remain in the forests of the Scottish Highlands, where interbreeding with feral domestic cats threatens the species' gene pool. Wikipedia One of the scientists responsible for cloning Dolly the sheep 15 years ago is developing a new cloning technique that he believes could help save endangered species. The work would initially benefit the Scottish wildcat, a relative of the domestic cat that lives in the woods of the Scottish Highlands. But if it works, it could be a new way to clone several kinds of animals. The Scottish wildcat, Felis silvestris silvestris, is related to other species of wildcats in Europe, but has been wiped out in England and Wales. Only about 400 animals remain, according to researchers at the Edinburgh Science Triangle. Researchers believe the cats could be extinct by 2050. The purity of their gene pool is threatened by interbreeding with...