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Why did the cloned Pyrenean ibex die shortly after birth?
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de-extinction
The woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius)—represented here by a replica in a Canadian museum—is an example of an extinct species that someday could be resurrected through de-extinction.
In 2009, researchers attempted to resurrect the extinct Pyrenean ibex using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Although the team successfully produced a clone from cryopreserved tissue, the animal died within minutes of birth due to a severe lung defect.1
This outcome highlights the significant challenges and ethical concerns associated with de-extinction. Reproductive cloning via SCNT is often inefficient and carries high risks, as fetuses frequently fail to survive gestation or are born with serious developmental abnormalities. Such technical failures raise profound moral questions regarding the welfare of cloned individuals and the potential consequences of attempting to manipulate natural history through these technologies.21